British tourist arrested for 'switching football shirt and returning a different top to online shop'

A British tourist was arrested over a suspected football shirt switch scam in Thailand. The suspect, named by police only as Kyle, 30, ordered four authentic Buriram United FC sportswear items online before requesting a return 'because the clothes did not fit'. But he allegedly sent back counterfeit kits instead of the genuine products he had received. He was refunded for three shirts before the seller spotted the fourth one and called police. Police on Wednesday raided his room at a resort in Buriram province, following a complaint from the store, Megacastle Co Ltd. Footage shows cops combing through the property as Kyle pleaded with them that he would pay for the damages. He said: 'I can pay you for that. The main thing is I have a daughter here.' During the search, police seized four Buriram United kits for examination. Kyle was initially detained on suspicion of 'deception to obtain property'. But the seller later declined to press charges after receiving compensation from the Brit. Police Lieutenant Colonel Panuwat Makmun of Satuk district station said the case began when Kyle, a long-time resident in Thailand, ordered four shirts online. He then allegedly bought matching counterfeit versions and used them to deceive the seller when making a return. The genuine shirts cost 840 baht each while the fake reportedly cost just 100 baht. He received 2,200 baht 'profit' for three shirts before the scam unravelled when the seller spotted irregularities with the fourth. The investigator said: ‘When he returned it, he put the fake shirts he had ordered in the bag instead and kept the genuine shirts. So he ended up with genuine shirts, plus a refund. ' But the switch was quickly discovered when the company opened the fourth returned package, only to find a shoddily made shirt inside. Panuwat added: 'The victim only wanted compensation for the damages. ‘It was not the biggest amount of money. But what the victim emphasised was that he didn't want other people to do what the foreigner did. ‘He wanted the foreigner to apologise sincerely, to show genuine remorse and explain why he had done it. He also wanted the matter to be publicised to prevent other people from doing the same thing. ‘The foreigner accepted and agreed to do everything. The victim subsequently withdrew the complaint.'