22 held in scam
A gang that operated a fake call centre and lured foreigners into transferring money into its bank accounts was busted yesterday.
The gang was based in Thailand’s Nonthaburi province. All 22 suspects arrested were either Chinese or Taiwanese.
According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau, such deceptive operations have cost Taiwanese people more than Bt10 billion each year.
“The arrests are a result of our three-month-long investigation,” Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Tharit Pengdit said yesterday. He said the DSI had conducted the investigation in collaboration with the Immigration Bureau.
Armed with a search warrant, DSI and relevant officials raided a rented house in Nonthaburi’s Pak Kret district at around 7am yesterday. Twenty-two suspects were arrested and their computers as well as phones seized.
Also found at the scene were Chinese-language scripts being used to lure victims into transferring their cash to the gang-controlled bank accounts.
“The gang has trained its staff like an academy. The accomplices have been taught how to convince their victims,” Tharit said. He said the investigation showed many call centres had operated like franchisees.
“They have been linked to deceptive call centres based in China and Taiwan, too. Those call centres have targeted Thais,” Tharit said.
Immigration Bureau’s deputy chief, Pol Colonel Chatchai Iamsaeng, said all 22 suspects would be prosecuted for violating immigration laws because they had travelled to Thailand on tourist visas.
