Pattaya, Thailand — January 9th, 2026
Thai authorities, together with South Korean police, have arrested two Chinese nationals in Pattaya, including one wanted under an Interpol Red Notice for alleged involvement in a transnational scam operation linked to human trafficking and the fatal assault of a South Korean student.
The primary suspect, identified only as Mr. Ham (Korean name) or Mr. Xian, a Chinese national, was apprehended at a residence in Pattaya. He is subject to an Interpol Red Notice on charges including luring individuals abroad, coercion, intimidation, and forced labor. Authorities allege he played a key role in a cross-border call center scam network that recruited victims with false job offers, confiscated their passports upon arrival in a neighboring country, threatened them to prevent escape, and forced them to work in scam operations or surrender bank accounts as “mule” accounts.
The network is also allegedly connected to the violent assault and death of a South Korean university student in a neighboring country, after which Mr. Xian reportedly fled to Thailand to evade capture.
During the raid on the same house, a second Chinese national, Mr. Chen, was arrested after showing signs of being on illegal drugs. A voluntary urine test confirmed the presence of methamphetamine (commonly known as “ice”), and he admitted to using the drug. He faces charges of possessing and consuming a Category 1 narcotic.
A third Chinese individual found at the property showed no immediate evidence of wrongdoing but is under further investigation for possible links to the scam network.
The operation stemmed from intelligence sharing between Thailand’s Anti-Cyber Scam Centre (ACSC), Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), and South Korean authorities, aimed at dismantling transnational crime syndicates using Thailand as a hideout.
Mr. Xian has been transferred to prosecutors at the Office of the Attorney General’s International Affairs Department for extradition proceedings. Mr. Chen was handed over to investigators at Nong Prue Police Station in Chonburi for local drug charges.
Thai police stated that no evidence of scam activities targeting victims in Thailand was found during the initial search, but investigations continue to disrupt such networks exploiting the country as a safe haven.
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
