The Central Investigation Bureau of Thailand (บช.ก.) recently launched a cross-border law enforcement operation codenamed "SKYFALL", in collaboration with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau and other departments, to dismantle a large Myanmar-based money laundering gang, seizing over 46 million Thai Baht in cash at the scene.
The operation was led by Director Chulapong Puridet (พล.ต.ท.จิรภพ ภูริเดช), who arrested three Myanmar nationals, U Sin (57 years old), Tida (57 years old), and Lao Wei (54 years old), as the main suspects involved in fraud, establishing a criminal organization, computer fraud, and money laundering.
The case originated from multiple victims who reported that the criminal gang initially induced investment in fake stocks on Facebook, then maintained the illusion through a Line group, initially realizing a 10% return to lure further investment. The police found that the funds first flowed into multiple fake accounts in Thailand, were exchanged for USDT through platforms like BinanceTH and Bitkub, transferred to a private wallet in Huione Pay in Cambodia, then dispersed to multiple addresses, and finally flowed back to the suspects in Myanmar.
Investigations revealed that the gang laundered between 20 million to 30 million Thai Baht daily, with monthly transactions exceeding 1 billion Thai Baht, and made large cash withdrawals at the Thai-Myanmar border. The police have issued arrest warrants for 28 suspects (including 24 fake account holders and 4 Myanmar beneficiaries) and have captured some core members at the northern border of Thailand.
The police stated that there is no direct connection between this gang and the large Cambodian fraud group "ก๊ก อาน", and they are pursuing the high-ranking members hiding in non-extradition countries through Interpol's red notice. This case reveals the complex chain of transnational cyber fraud and money laundering, highlighting the Thai police's efforts in combating cross-border crime and the necessity of international cooperation.
