Police in Thailand on Tuesday arrested a woman, who allegedly turned a link to Buddhist monks into sexual relations and then pressured them to make big payments to cover their intimacy.
The possible violation of the Brahmacharya Rules for monks has shaken Buddhist institutions and has attracted public attention in Thailand in recent weeks. The Royal Thai Police Central Investigation Bureau said that at least nine monks and senior monks involved in the scam have been dissolved.
Wilvan Imsawat, in the mid -30s, was arrested on charges including forcibly recovery, money laundering and obtaining stolen goods at his house in Nunthburi province north of the capital Bangkok. Police said they discovered the money transferred by a senior monk from a bank account related to their temple in North Thailand.
Villavan has not made a statement since his arrest and was not clear whether he had a legal representation. Talking to the local media before the arrest, he admitted to a relationship and said that he had given money to the monk.
Central Bureau of Investigation through AP 
A few times a year in Thailand, scams associated with the surface of monks are not usually included in senior members of the pastor. The case also puts a spotlight on a large money donated by Abbots, which is clearly marked for people leading under the teachings of their religion.
Villavan deliberately targeted senior monks for financial benefits, police said, they found that many monks transferred a large amount of money, when Villavan started romantic relations with them.
Police said Villavan’s bank accounts received about 385 million baht ($ 11.9 million) in the last three years, but most funds were spent on online gambling websites. The biggest bets were 500,000 BAHT, Bangkok post reportedCiting police.
Jaronakiyat Panquu, a Deputy Commissioner of the Central Bureau of Investigation, said the investigation began last month after a mandarin of a famous temple in Bangkok, suddenly left the monk.
Investigators found that Mathadhish had allegedly blackmailed her romantic relationship by Villavan. She told the monk that she was pregnant and asked her to pay $ 222,000 in financial assistance, Jaronciat said at a news conference in Bangkok on Tuesday.
The police believed that “this woman is dangerous and we need to arrest her as soon as possible,” Jaronciat said.
Thai media stated in the discovery of its mobile phone that thousands of photos and videos were detected, as well as many chat logs indicate intimacy with many monks, many of which can be used for blackmail.
The Thai monk is a member of the Thervad sect on a large scale, which requires celibacy and should also avoid touching a woman.
Government spokesperson Ziru Hungsub said on Tuesday that acting Prime Minister Fummattha Vichayachai ordered the authorities to review and consider the existing laws related to temples, especially the transparency of the finance of the temple, to restore confidence in Buddhism, the government spokesperson Ziru Hungsub said on Tuesday.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has established a Facebook page for the people, which is to report misconduct to the monks, Jaronciat said.
“We will examine monks across the country,” he said. “I believe that the wave effect of this investigation will bring a lot of changes.”
Buddhist monks in Thailand have been confused in the first scams.
In May, Thai Police Arrested a monk On the allegations, he embezzled more than $ 9 million from the major temple he had run by donations from devotees.
Last November, Thai police started investigating a Buddhist monastery after officials Discovered 41 bodies On the site which were allegedly used for attention practices.
In 2022, every monk was separated after him at a Buddhist temple in Central Thailand. Positive test For Mathemfetamine. The monks were sent to a health clinic to undergo drug rehabilitation.
Egens France-Press contributed to this report.
