Thailand, March 1st, 2025 — Pol. Gen. Thatchai Pitanilabut, the National Police Inspector-General, announced that Thai authorities had received 119 Thai nationals deported from Cambodia after a call center gang bust. The group was handed over at the border following a raid by Cambodian police.
The returnees were classified into three groups, with seven individuals already facing arrest warrants and immediately taken into custody. Authorities are conducting screenings to determine any additional involvement in transnational crimes, including fraud and organized crime.
According to initial interviews, some returnees claimed they were new to the job. However, Cambodian reports in English recently stated that the group had voluntarily joined the scam operation and lived freely in Poipet without coercion.
The Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh confirmed that none of the 119 individuals had sought assistance before their arrest.
Pol. Gen. Thatchai emphasized that authorities would not allow criminals to exploit human trafficking victim claims to evade prosecution, but genuine victims would receive necessary support. The investigation continues.
This follows ongoing crackdowns on illegal scam centers in Myanmar as well, as we have reported extensively here.
In February, over two hundred people allegedly forced to work in scam centers in Cambodia were rescued.
