Two Thai men suspected of working for a call centre scam network in Cambodia for more than two years have been arrested after allegedly illegally crossing back into Thailand through the natural border at Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo province.
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The arrests were made on July 12 after troops from Burapha Task Force, acting on orders from Colonel Chainarong Kasee, commander of the Aranyaprathet Task Force, deployed a patrol led by Captain Akom Mongkolnam of Ranger Company 1201. The patrol was monitoring the border near Checkpoint A.17 at Ban Khlong Luek in Aranyaprathet district when officers spotted two Thai men crossing Khlong Luek Canal and breaching a barbed-wire border fence.
Checks revealed that the first suspect, aged 28, was wanted under four arrest warrants issued by the Criminal Court. The second suspect, aged 40, had a criminal record linked to 11 cases and was wanted under nine arrest warrants issued by Pathum Thani Provincial Court.
During questioning, both men told investigators they had travelled to Poipet in February 2024 to work for a call centre scam operation. Their duties included responding to online chat messages to persuade victims to invest and using facial recognition to open so-called mule bank accounts through mobile banking applications. They said they were paid 5,000 baht for each account opened.
The pair said their employment ended in June 2026 after Cambodian authorities launched a major crackdown on call centre scam networks. According to their statements, their Chinese employer and several staff fled during the operation, leaving them unemployed in Poipet. After running out of money, they decided to return to Thailand by illegally crossing the border via a natural route, including the canal and the border fence.
Authorities have transferred both suspects to investigators at Khlong Luek Police Station for legal proceedings. Officers are also expanding the investigation into the wider call centre scam network and those involved in opening mule bank accounts connected to the operation.
Khaosod reported that the arrests come as authorities in Cambodia and neighbouring countries continue to intensify efforts against cross-border scam compounds that have targeted victims across the region. Thai authorities are expected to continue cooperating with law enforcement agencies to identify additional suspects and dismantle criminal networks linked to online fraud.
Pictures courtesy of Khaosod
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14 July 2026
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