German Peter-Jurgen Gramm (seated, back
center) has been remanded to custody for allegedly trying to work the
Nigerian “black money” currency-counterfeiting scam.
Boonlua Chatree
A German man promised a chance to literally make easy
money ended up helping police apprehend a fellow countryman suspected of
perpetrating a “black money” currency-counterfeiting scam.
Winfried Raimond Waldemar Sidert, 50, sought out
police after claiming he’d been duped by fellow German Peter-Jurgen
Gramm, who allegedly had offered to sell him - for only 10,000 baht -
the materials needed to make the equivalent of millions of baht in
counterfeit U.S. dollars.
But when would-be counterfeiter discovered his
supposed fortune was only a stack of black-coated paper that supposedly
needed to be treated with special chemicals to make it legal tender,
Sidert realized his greed-fueled folly and turned informant, offering to
help police arrest the 50-year-old Gramm.
And arrest him they did. Authorities had Sidert set
up a meeting to buy the paper and chemicals from Gramm Feb. 21 at Tops
Supermarket in Central Pattaya. When money changed hands, the handcuffs
came out.
Police seized 1,900 pieces of black-coated and 190
pieces of U.S. dollar-green cut paper, three bottles of an unknown
chemical in soda bottles. They also found Gramm’s passport, which showed
he’d overstayed his visa by a week.
Lt. Col. Kreetha Tankanarak said police had received
a number of complaints about Gramm, but that the German often changed
residences and was hard to apprehend.
Gramm was charged with embezzlement and overstaying
his visa. The visa was revoked and he is being deported and blacklisted
from the Kingdom after he is processed through the Thai legal system,
which most likely will include a prolonged stay in Chonburi prison.
