Thai Border Bust: Scam Gear Seized from Call Center Network

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Authorities in Thailand's Tak province have made a significant dent in a cross-border call center scam operation. On February 1, security officials captured a man and seized a large haul of electronic equipment vital to the scheme. In Mae Ramat district, near the Thai-Myanmar border, a joint task force including soldiers, border patrol police, and administrative officers conducted a targeted operation.

During their operation, the team stopped a Toyota pickup truck packed with scam-related tech. Inside, they found 1,251 mobile phones, 274 SIM cards, and 19 computers. The driver, identified only as 45-year-old Tid, confessed to being paid 5,000 baht (US$150) to move the equipment. He was to pick up the items near the Moei River and send them via parcel service to a woman named Pawalee in Sa Kaeo, bordering Cambodia.

Colonel Natthakorn Ruantip, commanding officer of the Ratchamanu Task Force, stated the equipment likely belonged to a call center network in Myawaddy, Myanmar. The network planned to shift operations to Cambodia, across from Thailand's Sa Kaeo province.

Police continue to search for more members of the scam network. Tid was taken to Mae Ramat police station for further questioning as the investigation deepens.