Major Call Centre Scam Gangs Busted in Thailand

Six suspected members of two major call centre scam gangs have been arrested in Thailand, with cash and other assets worth about 42 million baht seized. The arrests were made in separate operations by officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Division.

First Arrest: Chen Yon Lai and Anan

In the first case, officers arrested Chen Yon Lai, a 52-year-old Chinese man, and a Thai man identified only as Anan. They were wanted on arrest warrants issued by the Criminal Court on charges of colluding in public fraud, transnational crime, inputting false information into a computer system, and money laundering.

Seized from them were 11 million baht cash, two computers, seven mobile phones, eight bank accounts, 13 cash cards, five cars, and other assets worth about 42 million baht in total, according to Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) commissioner Pol Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej.

Mr Chen was arrested at a luxury house in Phasicharoen district of Bangkok, while Mr Anan was apprehended in Chachoengsao province in the East.

Police investigators discovered that the suspects were involved in creating a fake CIB Facebook page to swindle money from people. Two of the suspects, Mr Chen and Mr Anan, were responsible for managing digital wallets used in illegal transactions and converting digital assets into cash to finance the operation of the call centre scam gang.

Second Arrest: Zheng and Accomplices

In the second case, a Chinese man identified as Zheng, aged 31, and three accomplices – a former police officer aged 70, and two Cambodian men aged 31 and 35 – were arrested.

Mr Zheng has been charged with illegal entry and was also wanted on an Interpol red notice for technology crime with damage worth over 40 million yuan, as confirmed by the CIB chief.

The arrests were made on Highway 33 in Muang district of Sakaeo and at the Rong Klua border market in Aranyaprathet district. The suspects were members of a call centre scam gang, according to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop.

The Chinese suspect, Mr Zheng, was wanted by the Chinese government and Interpol for cybercrime, with 121 victims and damage worth over 40 million yuan. The other three suspects had been hired to bring people to work as call centre scammers in Cambodia, receiving 3,000 baht per head.

Investigation and Arrest Details

Police investigators conducted an extended investigation and sought court approval to arrest the suspects. They searched eight locations in Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Chachoengsao, and Nakhon Ratchasima before successfully apprehending the suspects.

During the raid, Mr Chen’s wife and their three children were found in the house. It was revealed that Mr Chen had used Thai nominees to buy houses, land plots, vehicles, and other assets, as well as holding an elite visa.

For the second case, the CIB’s anti-online scam operation centre discovered that the suspects had persuaded local residents to open mule bank accounts for scammers and took them to cross the Thai-Cambodian border to scan their faces for money transfers from victims.

The arrests of these call centre scam gangs highlight the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies in Thailand to combat cybercrime and protect the public from fraudulent activities.