Anutin sets up committee to supervise technology crime crackdown
PM Anutin establishes a 23-member executive committee to combat online scams and money laundering through digital assets amid rising cybercrime.
Executive panel formed to tackle online scams and digital money laundering
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Wednesday signed an order establishing an Executive Committee on the Prevention and Suppression of Technology-Related Crimes, tasked with intensifying efforts to combat online scams and money laundering through digital assets.
Anutin issued the Prime Minister’s Office Order No. 341/2568, citing the growing complexity and sophistication of technology-related crimes, which have become more diverse and rapidly evolving.
The order noted that many people have been deceived through various forms of cybercrime, including the dissemination of fake news, false online information, and illegal online gambling. It also stated that illicit funds from online scams were being laundered through digital assets, posing threats to economic stability and national security.
23-member committee chaired by Prime Minister
The new 23-member committee will be chaired by the Prime Minister, with five deputy chairmen and key officials from law enforcement, financial, and regulatory agencies serving as members.
The committee members include:
- Prime Minister – Chairman
- Deputy PM Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn – First Deputy Chairman
- Finance Minister – Second Deputy Chairman
- Foreign Minister – Third Deputy Chairman
- Justice Minister – Fourth Deputy Chairman
- Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister – Fifth Deputy Chairman
- PM’s Secretary-General – Member
- Permanent Secretaries of the Finance, DES, Interior, and Justice ministries – Members
- Police Commissioner-General – Member
- Secretary-Generals of the NACC, AMLO, NBTC, and SEC – Members
- Bank of Thailand Governor – Member
- Pol Gen Permpool Chidchob, Pol Lt Gen Jirapop Phuridej, and Pol Capt Kemachart Prakaihongmanee – Members
- Director-General of the Provincial Administration Department – Member and Secretary
- A representative of the DES Ministry – Member and Assistant Secretary
Committee powers and responsibilities
The committee has been assigned the following key responsibilities:
- Formulate policies, measures, and operational guidelines for preventing and suppressing technology-related crimes and offences involving proceeds from such crimes.
- Supervise and coordinate the work of relevant agencies to enhance their operational effectiveness and ensure legal enforcement.
- Monitor and evaluate performance of agencies involved in combating technology-related crimes, and report findings regularly to the Prime Minister or Cabinet.
- Appoint subcommittees or working groups as necessary to support its operations.
- Carry out additional tasks as assigned by the Prime Minister or Cabinet.
Budget and allowances
The order stipulates that meeting allowances and other operational expenses for subcommittees or working groups established under this directive will be disbursed in line with the Royal Decree on Meeting Allowances for Committee Members, B.E. 2547 (2004) or other relevant government regulations. Funding will come from the Department of Provincial Administration’s budget.
