ID :
146965
Thu, 10/21/2010 - 19:59
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http://m.oananews.org//node/146965
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Thai Police arrest 23 Taiwanese in call centre scam
BANGKOK, Oct 22 - Police in the Thai capital on Thursday arrested 23 Taiwanese in relation to a call centre scam, deceiving victims in their homeland and mainland China to transfer over Bt1.2 billion (around US$40 million).
Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) deputy chief Pol Maj-Gen Panya Mamen said the arrest was a result of a cooperative operation between CIB, Thai Immigration police and Taiwanese police.
Thirteen suspects were arrested at a house in Bangkok's Huay Kwang district, while ten others were nabbed in the Laksi area, Gen Panya said. The gang leader was identified as Yao Wen Ho, overseeing the communications centre which coordinated calls for a scamming operation covering Bangkok and upcountry since September 2009.
The CIB chief said the gang made phone calls from Thailand to deceive Chinese on the mainland and in Taiwan to transfer funds to the gang for various reasons including tax refunds, pay credit card debt and theoretically receive free travel bonuses, causing Bt1.2 billion in damages.
Gen Panya said the call centre scam gang used counterfeit passports and visas to flee Thailand and that three fake passports were confiscated.
The scamming call centres are based in Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam. Each month, the centre has a quota to lure people to transfer at least ten million baht (US$330,000) so that it could be divided among gang members, according to the CIB chief.
The suspects were packing their bags preparing to travel to other countries at the time of the raid, said Gen Panya.
Initially, they have been charged for working in the kingdom without legal permission as they hold temporary visas and were conspiring to make counterfeit government documents and failing to notify authorities within 24 hours of their temporarily stay in Thailand. (MCOT online news)
Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) deputy chief Pol Maj-Gen Panya Mamen said the arrest was a result of a cooperative operation between CIB, Thai Immigration police and Taiwanese police.
Thirteen suspects were arrested at a house in Bangkok's Huay Kwang district, while ten others were nabbed in the Laksi area, Gen Panya said. The gang leader was identified as Yao Wen Ho, overseeing the communications centre which coordinated calls for a scamming operation covering Bangkok and upcountry since September 2009.
The CIB chief said the gang made phone calls from Thailand to deceive Chinese on the mainland and in Taiwan to transfer funds to the gang for various reasons including tax refunds, pay credit card debt and theoretically receive free travel bonuses, causing Bt1.2 billion in damages.
Gen Panya said the call centre scam gang used counterfeit passports and visas to flee Thailand and that three fake passports were confiscated.
The scamming call centres are based in Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam. Each month, the centre has a quota to lure people to transfer at least ten million baht (US$330,000) so that it could be divided among gang members, according to the CIB chief.
The suspects were packing their bags preparing to travel to other countries at the time of the raid, said Gen Panya.
Initially, they have been charged for working in the kingdom without legal permission as they hold temporary visas and were conspiring to make counterfeit government documents and failing to notify authorities within 24 hours of their temporarily stay in Thailand. (MCOT online news)
