BANGKOK: A Malaysian man wanted in the United States for credit card fraud amounting to US$150mil (RM540mil) was arrested by Thai authorities and US Secret Service agents in Nonthaburi on the outskirts of Bangkok on Tuesday. Local media reported that the 43-year-old man had a warrant of arrest issued for him by a US court for illegal possession of data access device, hacking into computers and stealing data.

Crime Suppression Division police chief Supisal Pakdinaruenar said the man was a prominent member of a credit card fraud gang operating in the United States for the past three years and was believed to have fled to Thailand to evade arrest. He was arrested in a house in the Pak Kret district where he was staying with his Thai wife.

The group is believed to be involved in stealing credit card transaction data from people patronizing major restaurants and retail outlets like TJX, WalMart and Office Depot, and selling the information to other groups making counterfeit cards.

According to Supisai, the man had denied all the charges and was currently facing extradition to the United States. - Bernama