Six Taiwanese men arrested for alleged call-centre scam
Taiwanese members of a call-centre operation that allegedly swindled victims in Thailand out of nearly Bt100 million have been arrested, Tourist Police Division commander Pol Lt-General Surachet Hakpan told a press conference on Sunday.
Lo Ju-Chen, 23, whose arrest warrant was issued on Friday, was arrested at Suvaranbhumi Airport on Saturday, following an accusation that he taught and supervised Taiwanese compatriots who were defrauding people and convincing them to make money transfers.
Police also arrested two more suspects, Yan Sheng-Xian, 21, and Liang Geng-Bin, 25, and seized evidence including an ATM card, two bank account books, financial transaction slips and Bt30,000 cash at a coffee shop in Soi Praksa 4 area in Samut Prakan’s Muang district.
The apprehension of the three men was linked to the previous arrests of three of their compatriots, Shin Chen-Hung, 20, Chen Hao-Chieh, 24, and Huang Wen-Tsung, 23, who were arrested in Bangkok’s Soi Lat Phrao 130 area and Samut Prakan’s Bang Pu area last Wednesday on suspicion that they had withdrawn money from ATMs on behalf of the suspects. Officers also seized four ATM cards, five bank account books and Bt90,600 in cash.
Surachet said all six suspects had initially been charged with possessing other people’s cash cards and using them improperly.
Surachet said police were gathering evidence to apply for arrest warrants on Monday for Thai nationals who were reportedly hired to open bank accounts on behalf of the suspects.
Police were investigating 287 call-centre cases, which had caused damages worth Bt144 million in total.
Police have already seized Bt5 million in assets and Bt12 million in cash from suspects and determined that as many as 173 Thai nationals had allegedly opened bank accounts for the suspects, a police source said.