Bangkok police recently dismantled six call centers involved in transnational online fraud, arresting three Chinese gang leaders and 24 Thai "money mules," exposing a long-active telephone scam gang. The gang impersonated officials from the Ministry of Education, inducing victims to transfer money through phone calls and the internet under the guise of "protecting deposits."
On the afternoon of August 19, senior officials from the Bangkok Metropolitan Police Bureau and the London Metropolitan Police investigation team held a press conference to announce the results of the arrest operation. The Criminal Court had previously issued 44 arrest warrants, with 24 suspects apprehended, including Chinese citizens Ou Weiming, Li Lei, and Li Haihai, the three core leaders. These Chinese masterminds were responsible for overall planning, financial management, and profit distribution, and even rented luxury vehicles and hotel rooms to evade regulation.
Investigations revealed that since the beginning of 2025, the gang has been continuously scamming through six call centers. In some cases, suspects induced victims to make multiple transfers under the pretext of small compensations, totaling millions of Thai baht. Thai "money mules" were responsible for withdrawing money from ATMs across various locations, handing over the funds to the Chinese leaders, and earning commissions in the process. Police simultaneously launched operations in Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and other locations, arresting several Thai suspects responsible for account management and fund withdrawal.
During the operation, police seized numerous bank accounts, SIM cards, communication devices, and cash. Some suspects were charged with organizing scams and harboring robbery, and one woman was arrested for illegal possession of methamphetamine. The investigation also found that the gang recruited "money mules" through social media and managed funds centrally in hotel rooms, handing over cash withdrawn from ATMs to the Chinese masterminds.
Bangkok police stated that this operation not only combated transnational online fraud but also revealed the complex cooperation model of scams between China and Thailand. The police will continue to trace the gang's financial flows to prevent similar crimes from occurring again, while reminding the public to be wary of phone and online scams impersonating government departments.
This operation marks a significant achievement for Thai police in combating transnational call center network crimes and also demonstrates the role of cooperation between Chinese and Thai police and digital forensics in maintaining financial security.
