Two alleged Chinese call-centre kingpins arrested in Bangkok
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They were allegedly behind call centre scam gangs operating from Thailand’s neighbouring countries.
PHOTO: THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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BANGKOK - Police in the Thai capital arrested two alleged masterminds behind multiple call-centre scam gangs operating from Thailand’s neighbouring countries.
The arrests took place late on Feb 5, shortly after the Criminal Court issued their arrest warrants.
The two suspects, identified as Ye Wan You, 29, and Li Wei Jie, 30, were taken into custody at the Patio Ratchayothin housing estate on Soi Phahonyothin 32 in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district at 11pm.
Following the arrests, police froze 15.3 million baht (S$611,750) worth of assets belonging to the suspects, including a Mercedes Benz valued at 11 million baht. The authorities also seized five smartphones containing crucial data linking them to multiple call-centre scam operations in neighbouring countries.
Ye and Li face preliminary charges of soliciting and advertising the purchase or rental of bank accounts and registered mobile phone numbers. Their arrests followed an extensive investigation by Hua Mak police station, which was prompted by multiple complaints from scam victims.
Victims reported being targeted by fraudsters posing as police officers or Anti-Money Laundering Office officials. The scammers advertised on Facebook, claiming to assist victims in recovering lost money. However, once contacted, the victims were tricked into paying even more money.
The investigation, led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Somjet Pollao, revealed the identities of Ye and Li. Upon learning that the suspects were in Bangkok, police obtained arrest warrants and swiftly acted.
Ye was renting a room at the housing estate, and police staked out the location before arresting Li as he arrived at the premises. During the arrest, Li resisted by holding onto his mobile phone, forcing officers to seize it by force.
When police moved in to arrest Ye, he refused to open the door, attempting to reset his phone to erase evidence. Officers broke into the room just in time to prevent data deletion and took him into custody.
According to Police Major General Thiradej Thammasutee, commander of the Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, data extracted from the suspects’ smartphones confirmed that they remotely managed the activities. THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
