Myanmar women arrested over illegal phone-call service
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Eight Myanmar women have been arrested in Ranong province in connection with the case of a phone signal being hijacked to provide an illegal worldwide call service.
National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission chairman Thakorn Tanthasit yesterday said NBTC officials and police had conducted an under-warrant search of a three-storey commercial building in tambon Bang Non, following a report of someone illegally using the UHF 450-megahertz frequency from the premises.
During the search, police arrested eight female Myanmar “phone-call operators” and seized 37 telephones and books recording customers’ recipient phone numbers.
They also found many antennas and 31 signal boxes on the building’s sky deck, which after official inspection were confirmed to have been used in the unauthorised signal usage, he said.
NBTC senior official Charan Khaokaew said the illegal use of a phone signal to make worldwide calls had reportedly been going on for more than a year, with customers being charged Bt50 per minute.
The suspects now face charges of setting up a telecommunication station and using a frequency without permission.
A police investigation found that a Myanmar national had been renting the building for Bt20,000 a month as a “living quarters for employees”.
Police are now looking for the head of the operation.
