On Wednesday, Thailand’s police arrested 100 individuals for their suspected roles in a scam operation in Cambodia, marking the first apprehension of Thai citizens in a regional effort to combat extensive fraud schemes.
Arrest warrants were also issued for two Chinese individuals identified as alleged “gang leaders,” following a joint raid conducted by Thai and Cambodian authorities on a scam center in the Cambodian town of Poipet last month, according to Police General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot.
Scam operations have been prevalent along Thailand’s borders with Myanmar and Cambodia for many years, but the widely reported kidnapping of a Chinese actor in Thailand, who was later discovered in a scam facility in Myanmar, triggered an international initiative to dismantle the operation. The actor has since been safely returned to his home country.
Criminal organizations have trafficked hundreds of thousands of individuals to operate in large compounds that employ advanced tactics to deceive people into transferring money, resulting in illicit profits totaling billions of dollars annually, as reported by the United Nations.
In February, Myanmar sent an initial group of 260 individuals back to Thailand from scam centers. To date, approximately 7,000 individuals from over 20 countries, predominantly Chinese, have been rescued, although some are facing difficulties in returning to their home countries.
According to Thai authorities, the majority of these individuals were victims of human trafficking, and efforts are underway to facilitate their return. The police reported that the 100 individuals arrested on Wednesday were part of the criminal organization managing the scams.
They were deceiving victims by posing as government officials, Thatchai explained, estimating that over 1,000 Thais are still working in scam centers across the borders.
Authorities have indicated that since 2022, Thais have fallen victim to telecom scams amounting to approximately 80 billion baht ($2.37 billion).
“These scam operations are transnational criminal enterprises that involve foreigners collaborating with Thais to swindle Thai citizens,” he stated.
This week, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra instructed a review on the feasibility of constructing a wall along part of its border with Cambodia to deter illegal crossings and mitigate illicit activities.
