Thailand's cyber police confirmed that a telecom fraud ring operates within a 25-story building in Poipet, Cambodia.
At a briefing held at the headquarters of the Department of Cybercrime Combat in Thani Province, the director of the Cybercrime Investigation Bureau, Trirong Phiupan, provided detailed information about the case.
This discovery aligns with the situation mentioned by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a recent campaign speech in Chiang Mai. Thaksin publicly stated that this high-rise in Poipet is a major base for numerous scam operations. The police further confirmed this information through confessions from several suspects.
Thaksin promised in his speech to completely eradicate call center scams, pointing out that the high-rise in Poipet is a core hub for fraudulent activities. Investigations revealed that multiple suspects have admitted that this 25-story building serves as the command center for scam operations, linked to cases involving at least 125 victims, including Charlotte Austin.
Additionally, the police stated that the case involves multiple call center scams and other public fraud cases, causing significant social impact.
To address this transnational crime, the international community has begun to strengthen cooperation. Thailand's cyber police have been in close contact with officials from China and the East Asia region, representatives from the Mekong River basin countries, and have jointly developed a cooperative strategy to combat call center fraud gangs. Since these criminal activities occur outside Thailand's jurisdiction, close international cooperation is particularly important.
When asked if there are Chinese suspects establishing a SIM card base in Thailand as part of the scam center, Police Chief Trirong stated that the cyber police will thoroughly investigate the related mobile SIM cards to determine their relevance to the case and whether they involve Thai citizens.
If the case involves Thai citizens being defrauded, the police will take domestic legal action; if the victims are foreigners, the police will cooperate with the embassies of the relevant countries to carry out transnational arrests after sufficient evidence is collected.
In this investigation by the Thai police, a key issue that has attracted widespread attention is whether Chinese individuals are involved in establishing a SIMbox base in Thailand as part of the call center scam.
Director Trirong Phiupan of the Thailand Cyber Police Bureau responded that the police will further investigate the possibility of Chinese suspects using these devices to establish a scam base through the origin and usage records of these SIM cards.
The focus of the police is to determine the actual usage of these SIM cards and whether they are involved in scams within Thailand. Specifically, if these devices are used to defraud Thai citizens, the police will treat it as a domestic criminal case and proceed immediately. According to Thai law, any fraudulent acts against Thai citizens will be severely pursued and legal proceedings will be swiftly initiated.
However, if these call center bases are used to defraud citizens outside of Thailand, the police will take a different course of action. The police will coordinate with the embassies and foreign affairs departments of the involved countries to establish a transnational cooperation mechanism. Through international cooperation, the police will carry out transnational arrests based on sufficient evidence collection.
The cross-border nature of these scam activities makes them not just a domestic issue but involves multiple countries' legal and criminal prosecution. Close cooperation between countries is crucial for the ultimate resolution of the case. The suspects will be handed over to the immigration police for deportation proceedings.
Through this approach, the police hope to eliminate any potential security risks and prevent criminals from continuing illegal activities within Thailand.
The core goal of this operation is to thoroughly combat transnational call center fraud gangs, especially those involving Chinese suspects and using Thailand as a base for fraudulent activities.
The police stated that with the strengthening of international cooperation, there will be more joint actions in the future to ensure that these criminal gangs cannot continue to expand in Thailand and other regions.
As transnational cooperation deepens, the Thai police stated that they will continue to combat call center-related fraud crimes, especially when fraudulent activities cross national borders, international coordination will be key to stopping such crimes.
