Call-Centre Scam: Thai and Vietnamese police have together shut down a call-centre investment scam in Ho Chi Minh City.
Nineteen Thai suspects and Taiwanese accomplices were rounded up on August 24 after Thai police investigated complaints filed by Thais and traced the perpetrators to Vietnam.
“The gang cost the victims at least Bt50 million,” said Pol General Thanitsak Teerasawad, director of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD).
“Many of the victims were duped into investing because the gang used the name of Provincial Police Region 9 commissioner Pol Lt General Ronnasilp Phusara without his consent to bolster its credibility.”
More than 100 police officers, including Thais, took part in last Friday’s crackdown.
Thanitsak and TCSD deputy director Pol Maj General Surachate Hakpal took custody of the 19 Thai suspects as they arrived from Vietnam at Suvarnabhumi Airport late Saturday night.
Surachate said they would be charged with fraud, money-laundering and being affiliated with a multinational crime organisation.
“We will interrogate them separately and find out who else is involved and who helped them travel to Vietnam,” he said.
The crackdown was undertaken as part of a programme called One World One Team, which has enabled Thai police to stop several similar scams overseas in which Thais were the victims.
Sixteen Thai suspects in a Philippines-based fraud operation will be extradited to Thailand next week.
