DSI: International scammers caught in massive call-centre bust

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) successfully broke up a notorious call-center syndicate based in Nakhon Si Thammarat province.

Under the leadership of Police Major Yutthana Praedam, the acting director-general of DSI, the operation exposed a complex network of deception spanning Thailand, China, and Russia.

During the operation, DSI officers arrested a total of 71 suspects, including 52 Chinese nationals and 19 Thai accomplices. The crackdown took place across three locations in the southern province and resulted in the seizure of significant evidence.

Among the items confiscated were 223 computers, 1,001 smartphones, 14 iPad tablets, 298 SIM cards, and 86 bank books. This was revealed by the DSI chief during a press conference held at the Chawang District Police Station.

Accompanied by Police Captain Khemchat Prakaihongmanee, the masterminds behind the call-center ring were exposed. Collaborating agencies such as the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) and the Personal Data Protection Commission joined forces to combat these criminal activities.

Luxury houses and shophouses were revealed as the headquarters of the operation, housing unsuspecting individuals who were unknowingly part of the scheme. The call-center scammers had been defrauding millions through cryptocurrency schemes and illicit online ventures since November.

Operating in multiple languages including Chinese, Russian, and Thai, the fraudsters skillfully concealed their activities. Investigations revealed a trail of passports indicating frequent trips to Cambodia, suggesting an international dimension to their operations.

“The arrested Chinese nationals face charges ranging from immigration violations to technology-related crimes.”

In a related development, the DSI announced an intensive investigation into nine businesses based in Phuket suspected of employing Thai nominees to bypass labor laws restricting certain industries to Thai nationals.

Among these businesses is the Green Elephant Sanctuary Park, managed by Urs Fehr, a 45-year-old Swiss national involved in an alleged assault incident with a female doctor near his leased villa at Yamu Beach in Thalang district last month.