Bangkok, Thailand – Thai immigration authorities have arrested six Chinese nationals, including the alleged ringleader, for running a large-scale scam network from a luxury condominium in Bangkok. The sophisticated operation, discovered during a raid on Thursday, involved advanced technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to conduct fraudulent activities.
The raid was led by Police General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police and Director of the Technology Crime Suppression Center. The investigation revealed that the suspects were operating the scam network from multiple units across three floors of a high-end condominium on Ratchadaphisek Road, located in the Huai Khwang district.
The scam operation, which involved creating fake social media accounts and making up to 600,000 scam calls per hour, used cutting-edge technology. During the search, authorities seized a massive amount of equipment, including 286 SIM boxes, over 208,000 SIM cards, 636 mobile phones, 62 computer monitors, 84 CPUs, and 4 laptops.
The suspects, who entered Thailand under student and tourist visas over the past four months, were allegedly responsible for managing the technical infrastructure of the scam operation. The actual scam calls were traced back to overseas locations, where remote connections allowed the suspects to control the Bangkok-based equipment.
Among those arrested were Wen Fengran, Zhang Jun, Li Yuning, Pang Ze, Yang Qun, and the suspected leader, Yao Fan. One of the suspects confessed to earning 8,000 yuan monthly for his role in maintaining the SIM card operations under the direction of a superior known only as “Zhun Ge.”
Authorities have identified three additional suspects who remain at large. Warrants have been issued, and the suspects have been placed on a watch list to prevent their escape through border checkpoints.
The suspects face a range of charges, including unauthorized possession and operation of telecommunications equipment, inputting false information into computer systems, concealing criminal proceeds, and working in Thailand without proper permits. After the legal proceedings are completed, immigration authorities are preparing to deport the suspects.
This operation follows a similar pattern to previous scam networks operating in Laos and Cambodia, and the case has now been transferred to cybercrime investigators for further analysis.