Police seek to arrest 100 Thais over call-centre scams
Police are seeking arrest warrants against almost 100 Thais suspected of being hired to open bank accounts for call-centre scam gangs, Tourist Police deputy chief Pol Lt-General Surachet Hakpal said on Saturday.
Speaking at a press conference at the Din Daeng police station, Surachet said the arrest warrants would probably be approved by courts within two weeks.
He said police learned that these Thais had been hired by Taiwanese gang leaders to open accounts to receive money transferred from victims’ accounts.
Surachet said the Thais closed their accounts after police intensified their crackdown on call-centre scams.
In the latest arrests, Surachet said, five suspects have been nabbed on charges of allowing their accounts to be used by a call-centre gang in exchange for returns of 4 per cent on the money stolen.
The five suspects were identified as Thanatip Suttharatwisal, Patcharida Riencharoen, Chawakorn Apiraksaporn, Chakkrapong Yenprapai and Thana Julawat.
Surachet said the five were implicated by another suspect, Chonchon Phetdee, 33, who was arrested earlier.
Police have also arrested two Malaysians, who were allegedly drawing money from ATMs in Songkhla for their call-centre gang based in Malaysia.