Thai police have arrested four Vietnamese nationals following an investigation into an alleged call-centre scam network in Bangkok, which officers say converted fraud proceeds into gold bars and mobile phones.

The inquiry was launched after police traced financial links from a crystal methamphetamine case involving drugs hidden in tamarind paste and sent to Japan, alongside an online scam case. Officers said they seized gold weighing more than 40 baht and a number of iPhones.

Three suspects - Hien, 29; Lam Ngan, 40; and Nguyen, 33 - were detained at a hotel in the Nawamin area of Ram Inthra, Bueng Kum district, Bangkok, on 5 August. All are Vietnamese nationals.

They face an allegation of jointly participating in a secret society under the jurisdiction of Khok Khram Police Station. Police have also extended the case to allege public fraud through a call-centre operation in the Lumphini Police Station area.

Hien also faces an additional allegation of involvement in a transnational criminal organisation connected to the shipment of crystal meth hidden in tamarind paste, under Bang Yi Khan Police Station.

Gold purchases allegedly used to move scam money

Police believe the gold and phones were used to turn money obtained from victims into assets that could be more difficult to trace before being passed to associates overseas.

During questioning, Hien reportedly admitted she had been hired by a Vietnamese woman identified as "HOA" through Telegram to collect gold and mobile phones. She said she was paid US$15 per day.

Police said Hien had entered Thailand twice previously for similar work, making this her third trip. On 31 July, she was allegedly instructed to collect gold bars totalling 17 baht in weight, using proof of advance payment from her employer at gold shops before handing the items to designated people in Bangkok.

The case involving the alleged call-centre fraud began when a victim received calls from people claiming to be staff of a telephone company and police officers from Mueang Ranong Police Station.

The callers allegedly said the victim's ID card details had been used to open an account linked to money laundering. They sent a fake court order and threatened the victim into transferring money to "prove innocence", police said.

The victim transferred 200,000 baht into a mule account before becoming suspicious and reporting the matter to Lumphini Police Station.

Woman arrested over alleged station bribe

After the three suspects were taken to Khok Khram Police Station, officers received information that someone might try to offer money in exchange for their release.

Police said Le Thi, 39, a Vietnamese national, arrived at the station in a Toyota C-HR and entered a mediation room. She allegedly handed 150,000 baht in cash to officers in an effort to secure help with the case.

She was arrested immediately on an allegation of bribing a state official. Officers seized 150 1,000-baht notes as evidence.

Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Major General Theeradet Thamsuthee said the network had allegedly divided work between those conducting scams and those changing cash into valuable assets before moving them to beneficiaries in Vietnam.

Pictures courtesy of Amarin

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7 August 2026

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Off topic troll post removed @SiSePuede419 this is the Thai news section, stop trying to deflect topics into a Trump debate.