THAILAND — Thai authorities have dismantled a mule account gang operating for a Chinese-led scam network and are seeking an Interpol Red Notice to apprehend a Malaysian suspect, officials said Wednesday.
The arrested Thai suspects acted as mule bank account holders, receiving illicit funds from fraudulent schemes. Police identified Nattinee Burasun, 30, as the coordinator responsible for collecting money and liaising with the Chinese mastermind behind the network.
A Malaysian suspect, Lee Yong Hann Jovan, allegedly transported stolen funds out of Thailand. Investigators traced the scam back to November last year, when a 65-year-old retired civil servant in Pathum Thani was deceived by a call-center gang posing as bank staff and local police officers.
The gang falsely accused the victim of involvement in a drug case, instructing her to “prove her innocence” by transferring money to their accounts. On November 13, the victim transferred 30,000 baht to a mule account. When she was unable to complete online transfers, she was ordered to withdraw 800,000 baht in cash, place it in a bag, and leave it in front of an abandoned house.
Lee allegedly collected the cash, entered Thailand via Suvarnabhumi Airport, and returned to Malaysia with the stolen funds. Authorities report the gang continued threatening the victim, forcing additional transfers on November 14 and 15. The victim’s total losses exceeded 1.4 million baht.
Thai police are working closely with Interpol to issue a Red Notice for Lee’s arrest as investigations continue.
