Japanese man wanted for fraud over shopping jobs in Thailand

TOKYO, Nov. 21 Kyodo -
The Thai police have placed a Japanese man on an international wanted list on
suspicion of fraud allegedly for not paying expenses and wages to people who
bought brand items in Thailand on behalf of his company in 2006, lawyers of the
victims said Saturday.
However, since Japan and Thailand have not concluded a criminal extradition
treaty, the Japanese police are not able to detain the suspect even though they
found him in Japan, and the victims are enraged with the judicial loophole.
According to the Thai police and the lawyers, the suspect found buyers through
newspaper ads under the name of his company Flashy Colors in 2006 saying they
could earn money by just purchasing goods in Thailand.
Then he traveled to Thailand with the Japanese buyers and received brand items
such as luxury watches they had bought but he has not paid them about 60
million yen for the items and other expenses, they said.
The Thai police obtained an arrest warrant for the man and placed him on an
international wanted list through the International Criminal Police
Organization in September, while they have been exchanging information with the
Japanese police as well.
Meanwhile, Japan's National Police Agency told Kyodo News, ''Generally, we
can't hand over the custody of Japanese nationals (to Thai authorities) even if
they ask us to detain the suspect since the two countries have not struck a
treaty to extradite crime suspects.''
One of the fraud victims said, ''It seems as if he's protected by the Japanese
police even though he's internationally wanted.''
According to a lawyer separate from the lawyers for the victims, another group
of fraud victims has filed a lawsuit seeking reimbursement of their money as
the suspect's company allegedly sent about 100 people to Macao to purchase
luxury items in 2007 and still owes them some 500 million yen.
==Kyodo