A Federal High Court in Abuja has thrown the book at five Thai nationals, Panupong Wanasak, Aatairat See Ni, Laongdao Saeguang, Achalar Saeyang and Galin Suphaaut, sentencing them to one year in prison each for cybercrime and overstaying their visas in Nigeria.
Justice Emeka Nwite laid down the ruling after the group cut a plea deal with the Federal Government. They’re looking at one year behind bars for each of three charges or a N1 million fine to dodge jail time. Once they’ve served their sentences or paid up, the court wants them out of the country, with the Nigerian Immigration Service handling their deportation. All the gadgets they used for their crimes are now government property.
The Thais rolled into Nigeria in September 2024 on 30-day business visas but stuck around longer than allowed, allegedly running a shady gaming platform in Katampe, Abuja. They were hit with charges of cybercrime, money laundering, hacking, and faking data under the 2015 Cybercrimes Act (tweaked in 2024). At first, they said they were innocent, but later fessed up through a Thai interpreter.
