BANGKOK, Thailand – Police have arrested 13 scam suspects and seized victim contact lists and swindle scripts at a house in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan, while also apprehending a fugitive Korean fraudster hiding in Prachuap Khiri Khan, authorities announced on Tuesday.

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Central Investigation Bureau commissioner Pol Lt Gen Natthasak Chaowanasai told reporters that 12 Koreans and their Chinese boss were taken into custody from a house in Samut Prakan on 1 September, along with 51 VoIP devices, 20 mobile phones, internet signal repeaters, 20 computers, Korean-language scam scripts, forged Korean-language official documents and lists containing the names and phone numbers of more than 1,000 South Korean nationals.

According to Pol Lt Gen Natthasak, the suspects phoned potential victims over the internet, claimed to be South Korean public prosecutors, accused them of involvement in criminal offences and instructed them to transfer money for verification of the source. The gang was supervised by the Chinese suspect and operated from 7am to 2pm on weekdays, mimicking the office hours of South Korean officials.

They entered Thailand six months ago and moved locations every two months to avoid detection, with all victims being South Korean nationals. Police believe there are many victims, and this represents the third arrest of South Korean scam gangs in Thailand, with 41 suspects arrested in total causing damage amounting to tens of thousands of millions of won.

In a separate operation, police also apprehended a 67-year-old South Korean man, Ahn Hoon, at a house in Hua Hin district, Prachuap Khiri Khan, on Monday. Crime Suppression Division commander Pol Maj Gen Pattanasak Buphasawan stated that the man was a fugitive wanted in South Korea on charges of investment fraud totalling 1.05 billion baht through 14 separate scams.

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Since moving to Thailand, the suspect had also allegedly tricked three South Korean victims into investing in bogus property projects in Chon Buri, Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan, with reported damage totalling about 147 million baht. The suspect had entered Thailand from Malaysia approximately three decades ago and has a Thai wife. He is currently being held in police custody pending legal procedures, as authorities continue their crackdown on transnational fraud networks operating from Thai soil.

-Thailand News (TN)