Customs step up checks on Chinese tourists arriving from Cambodia after SIM cards found

 

Image: Thai Rath

 

Following the discovery of 50,000 SIM cards at the Cambodian border earlier in the week the Thai authorities are stepping up checks on Chinese tourists crossing at Aranyaprathet.

 

The DTAC SIM cards - apparently new -  were found by customs dumped in three bags on a trolley.

 

Word has come from the Cambodian authorities that Chinese call center gangs are using SIM cards to launder money.

 

They put about 10,000 baht on each SIM then take the cards to a third country to place it in bank accounts.

 

Cambodia is being used as a staging post in this operation, they told the Thais.

 

The Thais said there is no evidence to substantiate this yet but they are stepping up vigilance at the border after receiving the warning from their Cambodian counterparts, reported Thai Rath. 

 

Source: Thai Rath

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2017-12-09

16 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

 

They put about 10,000 baht on each SIM then take the cards to a third country to place it in bank accounts.

So, in theory, someone could have abandoned the equivalent of 500, 000, 000 baht on trolleys?

 

Wouldn’t want to be in their shoes right now. 

Edited December 9, 20178 yr by Bluespunk

"They put about 10,000 baht on each SIM then take the cards to a third country to place it in bank accounts."

 

Have I missed the point here?

Can you transfer credit from a SIM card to a bank account in other countries?Am I ignorant, but you can't do that in Thailand can you?

Obviously.

Quality tourists.

 

What's the crime here?

 

3 minutes ago, milwaukeeboy said:

What's the crime here?

 

For the Thai Government - Money leaving the country... 

It requires  a mobile wallet account, if such a service is provided by your mobile network operator, then you can send money to a conventional bank account from your wallet account.

It requires  a mobile wallet account, if the service is provided by your mobile network, then you can send money to a conventional bank account from your wallet account.

9 minutes ago, Coconutman said:

It requires  a mobile wallet account, if the service is provided by your mobile network, then you can send money to a conventional bank account from your wallet account.

Aha! It's all becoming clear. Thanks for the explanation.

Edited December 9, 20178 yr by bluesofa

so interesting way to launder money.  But the people forget that the idea of laundering money is so that it is untraceable.  Having these accounts and transferring money IS traceable.  One just needs to know how and where and when to look for it. Crooks often tend to move a bit quicker than law enforcement agencies, but once word gets out, things can be traced

10 hours ago, Coconutman said:

It requires  a mobile wallet account, if such a service is provided by your mobile network operator, then you can send money to a conventional bank account from your wallet account.

 

How to do ?

 

 

Easy to launder money using LINE Pay or True Money.
Except when you are NOT a Thai national because then the amount on LINE or True Money is limited to 5,000 THB !!!

22 hours ago, milwaukeeboy said:

What's the crime here?

 

Littering perhaps, or more-likely failing to pay the appropriate 'administrative-fees', to Customs ?