Nine Irishmen arrested last Thursday in connection with the Bangkok "boiler room" share scams were deported last night and were due to arrive in Dublin early this morning.
They had spent four days in an immigration holding cell after being convicted of work permit and visa violations by a Bangkok court.
Most of the 78 detainees left yesterday or the day before with the remainder - except four Britons and one unidentified national kept behind by Thai authorities for further questioning - expected to return to their countries of origin by tomorrow.
All worked for Brinton Group and Benson Dupont International, firms alleged to have sold "ramped" shares through high pressure telephone sales to overseas clients.
Relieved to be returning home, they maintain their innocence in the face of allegations of defrauding mostly first-time Australian investors of millions of pounds.
"It will all come out in the wash that this was a legitimate company," said one of the deportees who identified himself as "Patrick" before going through customs at Bangkok's Don Muang airport.
"I know this is Bangkok and a lot of wrong stuff goes on but it wasn't us I can assure you."
Since news broke of the raid by Thai authorities last Friday the Australian embassy has received more than 150 calls from worried investors, with consular officials estimating the sum total of losses reported to be nearly £2 million (€2.54 million).
A retiree couple were told they had most likely lost their life-savings, a lump sum of £90,000 they had received only a few weeks before they invested it with the Brinton Group.
Authorities intend to travel to Australia from Bangkok to interview those claiming to be victims of the sting.
Thai police are no closer to finding Briton John Messey, Irishman John Keeley and one other unidentified director of the two companies involved still at large and believed to be in the country.
Adding to their frustration, police received a telephone message over the weekend from Mr Keeley, the suspected ringleader of the two groups, to say he will give himself up to authorities but in his own time.
The two directors arrested in the raids, Irishman Paul Hickey and Australian Scott Fisher, will remain in custody at least until the end of next week before charges are brought against them.
Along with operation of an unlicensed broking house, Thai police are also looking to bring charges of money laundering and fraud against the two.
Authorities also said yesterday that further charges may be laid against the five that faced court last week but who will not be deported with the others.
Meanwhile expatriates involved with more than 20 other unregistered broking firms publicly listed by the Thai Securities and Exchange Commission have been going to ground across the Thai capital.
A property manager at one of Bangkok's more exclusive apartment complexes reported three tenants vacating their penthouse suites at the start of the week.
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