Police said Setsuko Yamabe was arrested on Wednesday morning.

She entered Thailand on January 20 on a 60-day tourist visa. She subsequently got another 30-day extension from the Immigration Police Division 1 until April 19.

Police later cross-checked her background and found she was wanted by the Japanese police.

The Japanese police attache at the Japanese Embassy had informed Thai Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt-General Natthathorn Praosunthorn that Yamabe had allegedly caused damage estimated at more than Bt200 million to Japanese people with her pyramid scheme.

Police said the Japanese police attache thanked the Thai immigration police for the arrest.