2-12-2024 (BANGKOK) Thai authorities have apprehended a Chinese national believed to be the mastermind behind Thailand’s most extensive call centre scam operation.
Demin Wen, 35, was captured on Monday whilst travelling on a road near the Cambodian border in Aranyaprathet district’s Ban Non Sao Ae village, Sa Kaeo province, Crime Suppression Division Commander Police Major General Montree Theskhan confirmed.
The arrest follows a series of raids in Chiang Mai province where investigators uncovered a sophisticated telecommunications fraud setup spanning multiple properties. The operation yielded an extraordinary cache of equipment, including 642 SIM boxes, over half a million SIM cards, 72 computers, and nearly 1,500 mobile phones.
Authorities had previously detained Wen’s Thai spouse, who allegedly managed the northern Thailand properties housing the illegal operation. Following those raids, Wen reportedly fled Chiang Mai for Nakhon Sawan, where he abandoned his vehicle before taking a bus to Bangkok.
His escape attempt was further facilitated by his Chinese wife, Yin Xiaoying, who reportedly arranged his transit from Bangkok to Sa Kaeo. However, her involvement led to her own arrest at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Sunday. The 37-year-old was detained as authorities tightened their net around the operation.
When questioned, Wen claimed ignorance of his Thai wife’s arrest and maintained that his presence near the border was merely to visit the local Rong Kluea market.
