Pictures courtesy of Kaoded.

 

Police have dismantled an international call centre syndicate operating in Pattaya, seizing over 900,000 baht in cash and a luxury vehicle in a raid that marks a blow to transnational cybercrime.

 

Pol. Col. Anek Srathongyu, Superintendent of Pattaya City Police Station, led a covert operation following a detailed investigation into suspicious activities by a group of foreign nationals residing in the city. The inquiry culminated in the arrest of Mr Zhu Jiagen, a 29-year-old Chinese national, who was caught withdrawing cash from an ATM. He faces charges of public fraud, money laundering and violations of the Computer Crime Act.

 

Authorities, then armed with a warrant issued by the Pattaya Provincial Court, after the arrest, searched the premises linked to the gang, recovering a large number of mobile phones, a private vehicle, bank cards and the cash found on the suspect at the time of his arrest. Initial findings suggest the assets were proceeds from online scams targeting individuals both locally and abroad.

The investigation quickly expanded, resulting in the arrest of two Thai nationals believed to be part of the operation. Ms Orapan, 20 and Mr Phuwanat, 22, were both apprehended under separate court warrants and have reportedly confessed to their involvement in the syndicate.

 

Speaking to the media, Pol. Col. Anek stated that the operation not only dismantled one cell of a wider criminal network but also disrupted a key base for cybercriminals exploiting Thailand’s tourism hub as a cover for illicit activity.

 

“This is more than just the arrest of a few individuals. It is a direct strike against a transnational criminal network using Thailand as a command centre for online fraud,” said Pol. Col. Anek. “We are committed to tracing the financial trails linked to this group, both domestically and internationally, to shut down these operations at every level.”

 

The Pattaya crackdown underscores authorities’ growing resolve to confront evolving forms of cybercrime. Officials have vowed to intensify efforts to prevent the kingdom from becoming a safe haven for foreign criminal enterprises.

 

Further investigations are ongoing as authorities work to uncover the full extent of the network, the others involved and its international connections.

 

Related article:

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1363417-chinese-national-arrested-in-pattaya-while-withdrawing-nearly-one-million-baht-in-cash

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Kaoded 2025-06-16

 

 

 

Chinese at their games again

Boiler rooms Chinese Style😎

It would be nice if they could tell us exactly what this scam was.