Crypto crook finally nailed in Bangkok mall after sharp-eyed visiting countryman tipped off police, triggering dramatic takedown. Portuguese fugitive Carlos Laposo, behind €500M in crypto scams across multiple countries, caught after two years on the run.
A Portuguese conman who scammed victims out of €500 million back home was finally arrested in Bangkok on Thursday after a chance encounter at a downtown mall, where a visiting Portuguese journalist recognised him and alerted authorities. Thai police launched a rapid operation to detain the fugitive, who had previously been arrested in the country but mysteriously vanished from the system and slipped south without a visa trail. Off the grid for months, his run ended thanks to the sharp eye of a fellow countryman. He’s reportedly wanted in multiple countries for financial crimes linked to bitcoin and shady crypto schemes.
A Portuguese fugitive behind a staggering €500 million international fraud scheme has been arrested in Bangkok. Thai immigration officers apprehended the suspect, 39-year-old Carlos Laposo, on October 2, 2025, following a dramatic five-hour manhunt through a luxury shopping mall in the heart of the capital. Authorities confirmed that Carlos had been on the run across multiple countries before being captured, thanks to an unexpected tip from a Portuguese journalist on holiday.
According to officials, the journalist recognised Carlos from extensive media coverage in Portugal and immediately alerted Thai immigration. Acting on this tip, officers from Immigration Division 1 launched an urgent investigation.
They used facial recognition tools and biometric data to verify the man’s identity. Within hours, a team of more than ten plainclothes investigators had been deployed to the mall, combing the area for the elusive fugitive.
Carlos vanished after a dropped arrest warrant and used forged documents to evade detection for two years
Carlos first arrived in Thailand in 2023 using a standard tourist visa. However, soon after entering the country, he began orchestrating fraudulent Bitcoin investment schemes. Thai authorities revealed he scammed local victims out of more than ฿1 million, or around $30,800. An arrest warrant was issued at the time, but—bizarrely—it was later withdrawn from the immigration system. As a result, Carlos disappeared from official records and managed to evade detection for nearly two years.
After the warrant was removed, Carlos fled to southern Thailand, where he vanished from view. He failed to renew his visa and never registered an address as required by Thai law. For almost 24 months, there was no trace of his presence in immigration records.
Despite overstaying his visa and his international fugitive status, Carlos managed to hide in plain sight. He stayed under the radar using forged documents and moving between provinces without leaving a digital footprint.
The breakthrough came on Thursday October 2 at approximately 3:00 p.m. The Portuguese journalist happened to spot Carlos walking through a high-end shopping centre in downtown Bangkok. Recognising his face instantly, the journalist acted swiftly and notified the authorities. He even supplied photographs to assist in identification. As soon as the alert was received, Immigration Division 1 initiated a covert operation at the mall.
Surveillance footage and a rapid police response led to the suspect’s arrest at an upscale Bangkok mall
Over the next five hours, investigators worked methodically. They examined surveillance footage, scanned crowds, and tracked possible escape routes. Eventually, they noticed a foreign man speaking nervously on a phone near an escalator. Officers observed his behaviour closely and then moved in for questioning. When asked for identification, the suspect produced a Portuguese passport. The visa stamp showed he had not legally entered or exited Thailand since 2023.
Carlos confessed to staying illegally in Thailand for almost two years. He was immediately taken into custody and charged with overstaying his visa—an offence that carries fines, detention, and blacklisting. However, Thai officials quickly discovered that his immigration violations were only the surface of a much deeper criminal web.
According to Interpol and Portuguese police, Carlos is suspected of running sophisticated fraud operations across multiple countries. His criminal activity spans Portugal, other parts of Europe, the Philippines, and Thailand. Investigators believe he operated online cryptocurrency scams, cloned credit cards, and forged passports. Reports indicate that Swiss bank accounts linked to him handled over €500 million in suspicious transactions.
Fugitive posed as a financial expert and laundered millions through shell firms and offshore accounts
Carlos allegedly posed as a financial advisor or crypto expert to lure victims. He promised high returns on digital investments, then vanished with the funds. Furthermore, he is believed to have used stolen identities to access financial systems and move funds across borders. In several cases, he reportedly laundered money through shell companies and offshore accounts.
Despite his wide-reaching crimes, Carlos managed to live freely in Thailand without detection. Authorities admitted that once the original arrest warrant was withdrawn, tracking him became extremely difficult. He did not appear in any recent immigration database entries and avoided areas with high police presence. Officials suspect he may have received assistance from others while hiding in the country.
Following his arrest, Carlos was transferred to the Immigration Detention Centre in Bangkok. He will face legal proceedings for immigration violations before being deported. Thai authorities confirmed that he will be blacklisted permanently and returned to Portugal to face criminal charges. Officials from the Portuguese judiciary are already coordinating with Thai agencies on his extradition.
Arrest raises concerns over immigration lapses and shows how biometric tech helped capture a fugitive
The case has drawn widespread attention in both Thailand and Portugal. It also highlights serious concerns about border security and international fugitive monitoring. Authorities credited the successful arrest to biometric technology, international cooperation, and the sharp instincts of the visiting journalist. Without that crucial tip-off, Carlos might have continued living freely in Thailand.
In the aftermath, Thai officials reiterated their commitment to cracking down on foreign fugitives. They stressed that Thailand will not serve as a safe haven for international criminals. Immigration police also promised to review their internal systems, particularly the unexplained withdrawal of Carlos’s original arrest warrant.
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Carlos’s story reads like a crime thriller, but his victims number in the hundreds. Many lost life savings to false investment schemes. Some are still paying debts caused by identity theft. Now, after years on the run, Carlos Laposo is finally behind bars—and may soon face justice where it all began.
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