A Chinese national who escaped from Thai police custody by dramatically leaping from a second-floor window was recaptured less than 24 hours later in a hotel 200km (124 miles) away after an extensive manhunt.
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Li Jian, 38, was arrested at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport on Wednesday as he was about to board an AirAsia flight to Da Nang, Vietnam, local media reported.
An existing warrant for his arrest related to fraud had been issued by the Pattaya Provincial Court earlier that day.
Li reportedly convinced an unsuspecting victim to exchange Chinese yuan for a stablecoin in exchange for investment opportunities.
The victim transferred USDT tokens, valued at more than 1.26 million baht (US$38,600), in exchange for 178,000 yuan (US$24,800). Li did not transfer the yuan, prompting the victim to file a police report, according to Thai daily Khao Sod.
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After his arrest, Li was brought to the Pattaya City Police Station just after midnight on Thursday for processing. However, while investigating officer Kriangkrai Kaewphiphop was momentarily distracted, Li opened a sliding glass window in the second-floor interrogation room, jumped down to a side street and fled.