Bangkok:
Royal Thai Immigration police raided a luxury European-style mansion in Bangkok early Thursday and arrested 15 members, almost all foreigners from Japan, China, and Taiwan, of a transnational call-center scam gang targeting Japanese victims, seizing fake Japanese police uniforms, scam related scripts, gambling equipment, and drugs.
Pol. Maj. Gen. Panthana Nuchanart, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, led officers from the Immigration Investigation Division into the two-story walled residence about 100 meters down Soi Ekkachai 112 in Bang Bon Nuea in the Bang Bon district, after a court-issued search warrant.
All 15 suspects are men. They include Japanese, Chinese and Taiwanese nationals and one Thai. Police said they were operational-level workers who made the scam calls. A Chinese boss who used a nominee to rent the house for more than a year at 900,000 baht a month is believed to remain in Thailand. Officers are watching possible overland escape routes.
A tip from a member of the public about large numbers of foreigners entering and leaving the property prompted the investigation.
The upper floor had been converted into a Japanese-language call center. Officers found eight soundproof booths, numerous Japanese scripts used to deceive victims, computers, laptops and mobile phones. They also recovered fake Japanese police uniforms, counterfeit police ID cards, embroidered station logos and radios. Suspects used the uniforms and logos during video calls to impersonate Japanese law enforcement officers to scam victims out of money.
The ground floor contained a karaoke room, a large hall, a poker table, playing cards, cash-exchange chips, more than 27 mobile phones and six pocket Wi-Fi devices. Police also seized a quantity of ketamine, crystal methamphetamine (ice), drug-use equipment and scales.
The scam was relatively straightforward. Operators randomly called victims and claimed an illegal package had been found. If the victim believed them, the call was transferred to another line posing as police. The impersonators then said suspicious financial transactions or other crimes had been detected and pressured the victim to transfer money for “investigation.”
Seized items are being catalogued. The suspects have been handed to immigration investigators for charging. Foreign nationals are expected to be deported after legal proceedings.
Photo credit Daily news.co.th
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
