Seven individuals, including several foreign nationals, were arrested in Thailand for producing and distributing explicit content online. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) instructed the Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTD) to apprehend the suspects involved in the production and distribution of pornographic material on the internet. The arrests were carried out by a team led by Pol. Lt. Col. Kiatkong Thongkham, Deputy Commander of AHTD Division 2. The following individuals were identified by authorities:
- Mr. Benjamin (40, British) was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport while attempting to leave Thailand after learning about the crackdown. He is accused of creating content featuring Thai women, whom he transported in tuk-tuks to film explicit material at various tourist spots. This content was then shared on his platform, which has over 140,000 followers.
- Mr. Volker (48, German) was detained at his residence in Pattaya. He allegedly produced explicit content involving both foreign nationals and Thai transgender individuals, which he shared on OnlyFans, where he had over 150,000 followers.
- Mr. Zvezdan (32, Serbian) was apprehended at a condominium in Pattaya. He reportedly collaborated with Thai sex content creators to produce explicit material, which was shared on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and OnlyFans, amassing more than 200,000 followers across these sites.
- Mr. Andrei (34, Russian) was arrested in Bangkok for creating a group dedicated to explicit content featuring Thai nationals and working with a popular Thai sex creator with over 600,000 followers.
- Mr. Thanasin (30, Thai) was arrested in Bangkok for producing explicit content involving male partners, promoting it publicly, and directing viewers to private paid groups.
- Mr. Sangthian (26, Thai) was detained in Bangkok for similar offenses, including the production and distribution of explicit videos within private paid groups.
- Ms. Rattana (36, Thai) was arrested in Pattaya. She allegedly advertised and distributed explicit content on OnlyFans and private messaging groups, with more than 200,000 followers.
The suspects face charges under Section 287 of the Thai Penal Code for producing and distributing obscene materials and Section 14(4) of the Computer Crime Act for uploading obscene content to the internet. Pol. Lt. Col. Kiatkong emphasized that the arrests were part of the Royal Thai Police’s efforts to combat transnational crimes, particularly the exploitation of Thailand as a hub for producing and distributing pornographic material. He highlighted that these activities damage Thailand’s reputation and are linked to serious issues, including human trafficking.
The operation, dubbed “Operation Rabbit Hunt: Cracking Down on Sex Creators,” also uncovered child sexual abuse material in the possession of one of the suspects.
Initially, Mr. Benjamin admitted to filming the content but claimed that it was uploaded by an associate abroad. Meanwhile, Mr. Volker, Mr. Zvezdan, and Mr. Andrei denied the allegations, asserting their innocence. However, Mr. Thanasin, Mr. Sangthian, and Ms. Rattana reportedly confessed to the charges. Authorities are continuing their investigation to identify further victims and additional suspects.
