Thailand approves extradition of credit card hack suspect

A criminal court in Thailand has approved the extradition to the US of a Malaysian man suspected of participating in credit card thefts of more than $152m, according to a local news report.

Gooi Kokseng, 44, was arrested on January 30 after being accused of causing more than 5 billion baht, or $152.9m, in damage by accessing credit card information in the US and Southeast Asia, according to The Bangkok Post. He was charged with violating computer crime and credit card business laws.

The order was approved at the request of the foreign affairs section of the Office of the Attorney General, which sought extradition under a treaty signed between the Thailand and the US. Kokseng will be remanded in Thailand for 30 days before being transferred to the US.

Kokseng allegedly confessed to police that he was wanted in the US in connection with a series of identity thefts. He later reversed his statement in court, claiming he had never been to the US. ®