Major Breakthrough Against Human Trafficking: Thai Police Dismantle Call Centre Scam

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Thai police have captured key members of a human trafficking group that conned local residents into working in call centers under false promises of high wages, where they were insteadforced into labor and kept confined. The operation was led by Saruti Kwangsopa, Chief of the Anti-Human Trafficking Division (AHTD).

 

The chief sent a team composed of Police Colonel Pattanapong Sripinpraw and Lieutenant Colonel Worapol Lertwiriyapong to arrest a 31-year-old man named Teerapon. His arrest took place in front of a condominium in Bangkok's Huai Khwang district, following a warrant issued for his arrest by the Criminal Court on June 20 for being part of human trafficking through coercion, con artistry, and misuse of power.

 

Police also nabbed a 21-year old woman named Aranya in Wiang Chai district, Chiang Rai province. Another individual, 31-year-old Nattanicha, was charged with similar offenses while already detained at the Central Women’s Correctional Institution.

 

Last year, in October and November, the Myanmar government worked with Chinese police to take down call center gangs in Laukkai, Myanmar. These missions led to the rescue of 266 Thai victims who were then ushered back home after a screening and separation process as part of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).

 

 

Colonel Pattanapong Sripinpraw was tasked with investigating a call centre group led by a Chinese individual named Fei Yang, which included 11 suspects. Four out of these suspects were Thai HR personnel who deceived Thai people into working as chat administrators by offering salaries between 25,000 to 50,000 baht. However, once the victims entered the country, they were coerced and kept confined to work for the call center which was involved in a variety of scams, from romantic to investment.

 

Teerapon, who was thought to be Fei Yang’s assistant, denied the accusations, saying he worked in an entertainment venue as an interpreter and had nothing to do with the call center. Aranya, supposedly handling HR, used a fake Facebook profile to attract Thai citizens. She admitted to recruitment but denied knowing about the forced labor or the scams. Similarly, Nattanicha, still in custody, confessed to recruiting but pleaded ignorant about any coercive practices.

 

Post questioning, the suspects were handed over to Division 2 of the Anti-Human Trafficking Division investigators for possible future legal action.

 

File photo for reference only

 

-- 2024-07-09

 

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