Songkhla woman hands gold and cash to Chinese suspects in ritual scam

A Thai woman in her 60s allegedly handed over gold jewelry and cash to four Chinese suspects in Songkhla, Thailand, as part of a ritual scam, according to local police. The incident occurred on September 7 when the victim, identified as 66-year-old Naruemon Siangjeng, was shopping at Thung Lung Market in Phatong subdistrict, Hat Yai district, Songkhla.

According to police reports, Naruemon met four Chinese nationals at the market. One of the suspects allegedly informed her that her son was in danger and that she needed to perform a ritual to protect him. The suspects then instructed Naruemon to bring three items for the ritual: gold jewelry, 10,000 baht in cash, and a handful of rice. Naruemon believed their claims and returned home to gather her possessions.

Once home, Naruemon proceeded to the market and handed over the requested items to the Chinese suspects. Police claim the suspects performed the ritual inside their vehicle, during which they allegedly asked Naruemon to place all her valuables in a black bag before the prayers. After the ritual, the suspects returned the bag to Naruemon, who noticed her cash, gold, and rice were missing.

Upon realizing she had been scammed, Naruemon filed a police report, claiming total losses of 194,006 baht. Thai law enforcement, in collaboration with Songkhla Immigration Police, tracked down the suspects and arrested all four Chinese nationals on September 8. The suspects, identified as Ding Jinping, Lin Xueqing, Li Jintai, and Yang Tulian, confessed to the allegations during their arrests.

Investigators are currently questioning the suspects and gathering evidence, with the intention of reporting the case to relevant agencies for further action. The report does not indicate whether the police recovered Naruemon's missing valuables or whether she was the only alleged victim among the suspects' targets.