Overview

• Thai police detained 39-year-old Pedro M. on October 3 after a Portuguese journalist recognized him in a luxury Bangkok mall, with facial recognition and biometric checks confirming his identity.
• Authorities say he has lived illegally in Thailand since 2023 after overstaying a tourist visa and failed address registration.
• Investigators report he ran smaller local Bitcoin scams in Bangkok, allegedly taking more than 1 million baht (about $30,800) from victims.
• Portuguese and regional probes link him to a multiyear network that used crypto investment schemes, credit card skimming, and forged passports to steal and launder roughly €500 million ($580–586 million).
• Interpol is assisting with asset tracing, with investigators focusing on suspected Swiss bank accounts tied to the alleged proceeds.