Thai-South Korean police arrest 13 at alleged scam base in Samut Prakan
Police seized computer equipment, phones, scripts and victim details from a luxury house in Bang Phli and charged 13 foreign nationals with working without permits.
- A joint operation between Thai and South Korean police led to the arrest of 13 suspects (12 South Korean, 1 Chinese) at a luxury house in Samut Prakan.
- The group allegedly operated a call-center scam, impersonating South Korean prosecutors to deceive victims in South Korea into transferring money.
- Police seized computer equipment, VoIP phones, and scam scripts, and initially charged all 13 individuals with working in Thailand without permits.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), through the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), and the police consular section at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Thailand launched “Thailand-Korea Breaking Chains EP.3”.
The operation followed a proactive policy by the government and the Royal Thai Police. Senior officers set up the Anti Cyber Scam Center (ACSC) war room to co-ordinate with overseas partners against transnational crime, building on the earlier “Breaking Chain 2025” operation.
Luxury house converted into alleged scam office
Further investigation found that a suspected South Korean call-centre gang had fled a neighbouring country, entered Thailand and gone into hiding in Samut Prakan. The group rented a luxury house in Bang Phli and converted it into an office with 13 workstations. Police obtained a search warrant and searched the property, finding:
- 51 items comprising computer equipment and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephones.
- 20 mobile phones.
- Internet-routing equipment.
- Scam scripts, a list of South Korean victims and their telephone numbers, and forged documents purporting to be official correspondence from South Korean prosecutors.
The group allegedly contacted victims in South Korea through VoIP calls while posing as prosecutors or government officials. They threatened the victims by claiming they were linked to a case and deceived them into transferring money. Initial checks found no identified links to Thailand and no victims in the country.
13 suspects charged with working without permits
Police detained one Chinese national, Guangyun, 38, and the following 12 South Korean suspects:
- Seokyeon, 33.
- Sanghoon, 35.
- Dongyoung, 33.
- Youngwon, 31.
- Geunho, 24.
- Subeom, 33.
- Minjae, 28.
- Jaewook, 31.
- Hyunsol, 27.
- Jae Young, 31.
- Jaemin, 32.
- Chanmi, 33.
Police initially charged all 13 with working in Thailand without work permits and handed them to investigators at Bangkaew Police Station. The seized equipment will be forensically examined, and the findings sent to South Korea for further action.
The CIB said its co-operation with the South Korean embassy had led to the arrests of 41 alleged members of South Korean and Chinese call-centre networks from 2025 to the present.
CIB warns of callers posing as officials
The CIB warned the public to beware of scammers posing as police officers, prosecutors or government officials who make threatening calls claiming that recipients are linked to a case, then seek money transfers or personal information.
The bureau urged people to follow the rule: “Do not believe them, do not transfer money, do not disclose information; hang up, then verify.”
Anyone who encounters suspected call-centre activity can immediately alert police for investigation.
