29-4-2024 (BANGKOK) Thai authorities have arrested six suspects believed to be involved in two separate call centre scam gangs, seizing assets worth around 42 million baht in total. Among them is a Chinese national managing digital wallets reportedly circulating over 70 billion baht.
In the first case, officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Division apprehended Chen Yon Lai, 52, a Chinese national, and a Thai man known as Anan. They were sought on arrest warrants issued by the Criminal Court for their involvement in public fraud, transnational crime, false data input into computer systems, and money laundering.
The raid yielded 11 million baht in cash, along with computers, mobile phones, bank accounts, cash cards, cars, and other assets totaling approximately 42 million baht, revealed Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) commissioner Pol Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej.
Chen was captured in a luxurious house in Bangkok’s Phasicharoen district, while Anan was apprehended in Chachoengsao province. The arrests stemmed from an extended probe into a previous case involving a fake CIB Facebook page used for fraudulent activities.
Both suspects managed digital wallets facilitating illegal transactions and converting digital assets into cash, supporting the scam operation. Despite denying charges, evidence indicated their involvement, with mobile phones linking them to digital wallets holding over 70 billion baht, according to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop.
Further investigations revealed Chen’s key role in laundering money through digital currencies for scam networks based in Cambodia. He used Thai nominees to purchase assets and held an elite visa. Additionally, he orchestrated a scheme for his wife and children to obtain Thai nationality through marriage with a Thai man.
In the second case, Chinese national Zheng, 31, and three accomplices, including a former police officer, aged 70, and two Cambodian men, were apprehended. Zheng faces charges of illegal entry and is wanted on an Interpol red notice for cybercrimes amounting to over 40 million yuan.
The suspects were part of a call centre scam gang that recruited individuals to open bank accounts for receiving funds from victims, subsequently transferring the money to the scam network. Zheng’s arrest on Highway 33 in Sakaeo and the detention of his accomplices at the Thai-Cambodian border market followed an extensive investigation.
Authorities discovered Zheng’s involvement in cybercrimes, with 121 victims incurring damages exceeding 40 million yuan. The other suspects were recruited to facilitate scam operations in Cambodia, receiving payment per person brought into the network.
