BANGKOK, July 11 (RAPSI) - A Russian national has been detained in the Thai capital on suspicion of fraud, the local police said on Thursday.

Police Colonel Suebsak Phansura, chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau's Division 5, told a news briefing in Bangkok on Thursday that Sergei Afanasyev, 51, is suspected of using counterfeit credit cards.

"The suspect entered Thailand on Saturday and used fraudulent cards to withdraw money at least six times prior to his arrest," the police chief said.

Officers found 129 credit cards of various European banks, a skimming device (used to capture data from the magnetic stripe on the back of a credit or debit card) and a laptop computer in his hotel room in Sukumvit, a business and tourist area in Bangkok, he said.

"The police retrieved only 500 baht ($16) from the suspect during the arrest, leading them to believe Afanasyev transferred the money to his accomplices," Suebsak said.

According to the police, Afanasyev is a member of an international criminal group which produces fake credit cards in large numbers. The group members usually take money out from ATMs, or use the cards to make expensive purchases, faking the owner's signature, he said.

A criminal case will be opened against Afanasyev in accordance with Thai law and will be sent to the prosecution authority shortly, said the Police Colonel.