Two Thai men, part of a call centre gang in Poipet, were arrested for scamming Thai victims out of a total of 12 million baht. They claimed they were coerced into their roles within the group, which operated from Pu Li Casino and was led by a Chinese national.
Yesterday, July 5, at the Mueang Thong Thani headquarters, several high-ranking officers, including Police Lieutenant General Trirong Phiwphat and Police Major General Attasit Sutsanguan, among others, held a press conference.
They announced the arrest of these suspects, who were involved in a call centre operation based in a Cambodian casino, impersonating officials to coerce victims into transferring money.
The cyber police began investigating the hybrid scam between July 10 and October 16, 2023, following reports on the online platform thaipoliceonline.go.th. A victim was lured into a relationship via social media and subsequently convinced to invest in cryptocurrency, resulting in 147 transactions to 79 mule accounts, amassing losses of over 308 million baht (US$9.5 million).
This led to arrest warrants for 76 suspects, of which 46 have been apprehended. Evidence pointed to a large-scale call centre operation with over 100 people involved, with its base in Pu Li Casino, Poipet, Cambodia.
The gang utilised various scams, such as impersonating government officials to demand money for legal clearance or enticing investments. Arrest warrants have been issued for 44 people performing different roles within the gang, including communication, persuasion, and financial deception. As of now, various arrests have been made across these roles.
Call centre scam
Recently, Police Lieutenant Colonel Chaichote Sriworakhan and Police Lieutenant Colonel Rungrueng Saenkhot led a team to arrest two key figures. Somsak, a 37 year old, was detained in Phuket under a warrant dated September 27, 2024, while 20 year old Waramet was arrested in Chiang Mai with a warrant dated August 7, 2024.
Both men face charges related to organised crime, fraud, and money laundering. Waramet disclosed he received a monthly salary of 25,000 baht (US$770) and a commission of 3.5%, which could increase to 6.5% without the salary.
Initially working legally in Cambodia, he was later coerced into the gang, eventually taking on roles impersonating police to intimidate victims. He claimed to have been forced into these activities under threat of violence, witnessing others being harmed for non-compliance.
Somphak reported similar coercion, initially posing as a police lieutenant before escaping the casino, only to be detained by Cambodian police and imprisoned for 14 days before being deported to Thailand.
The police are actively continuing their investigation into this call centre network and are pursuing further arrests of those still at large, reported KhaoSod.
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