Yesterday, June 22, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) sought to detain a woman accused of recruiting Thai citizens to work in a call centre scam in the Philippines.
The suspect, Natwikon, was arrested under a warrant issued by the Criminal Court on April 25. She is charged with collaborating with at least two others to exploit people through forced labour, confiscating personal identification documents, indebting people unlawfully, and restricting their freedom.
The arrest was part of Special Case No. 32/2023, involving a group luring Thai citizens to the Philippines under false pretences of employment. Job advertisements were posted on social media, promising positions in human resources, marketing, and customer service roles with salaries of approximately 50,000 baht (US$1,515) per month.
Once interested people applied, they were interviewed by Chinese nationals and facilitated in their travel to the Philippines by the suspects, who arranged flights.
Upon arrival, victims discovered that the promised jobs were non-existent. Instead, their passports were confiscated, and they were coerced into working in a call centre operation that used computers, phones, and social media to deceive others.
Those who failed to meet the company’s targets faced threats, coercion, and mounting debts. Victims were subjected to exploitation resembling human trafficking, with threats of being sold to other companies if they did not comply.
The victims managed to secure assistance from the Philippines police and, after returning to Thailand, filed complaints against the suspects. The DSI arrested the suspect outside an apartment in the Phra Khanong area of Bangkok on June 20.
The special case investigation team has submitted a request for the suspect’s detention to the Criminal Court and will continue to investigate other network members involved, reported KhaoSod.
In similar news, Thai and Australian police collaborated to dismantle a call centre scam operation in Samut Prakan province, just outside Bangkok, arresting 13 suspects on June 16. Those apprehended included nationals from Australia, the UK, Canada, and South Africa.
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