- Photo: The Nation/ANN
BANGKOK: Thai and Cambodian police rescued 215 victims, including 109 Thais, from a call-centre scam gang in Poi Pet.
Authorities continue investigating to identify perpetrators and victims.
Those deceived will be sent home, while willing participants face legal action.
Thai police have sought assistance from their Cambodian counterparts to crack down on a call-centre gang in Poi Pet, opposite Sa Kaeo, rescuing 215 “victims,” including 109 Thais, a government spokesman said on Sunday (Feb 23).
Government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub stated that Police Commissioner-General Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet reported the rescue operation to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra immediately after it was completed on Sunday morning.
Thai and Cambodian Police Raid Call-Centre Gang
Jirayu explained that the gang was operating inside a three-storey building within a plaza compound in Poi Pet, across from the Rong Klua market in Sa Kaeo’s Aranyaprathet district.
Led by a police inspector-general, Thai authorities coordinated with Cambodian police to raid the building, rescuing 109 Thai nationals—54 of whom were women—along with 50 Pakistanis, three Indonesians, and 48 Indians.
The rescued individuals were questioned in Cambodia before being transferred to Thailand.
- Photo: The Nation/ANN
Coordinated Effort to Dismantle the Scam Operation
Jirayu added that the police inspector-general met with a Cambodian deputy national police chief on Friday to plan the operation.
A police source revealed that Thai authorities were first alerted to the scam when they received an email from a victim seeking help.
Following an investigation, they identified the call-centre gang’s location and sought Cambodian police assistance to carry out the raid.
Cambodian officials are now interrogating all the rescued individuals to distinguish gang members from actual victims.
Repatriation and Further Investigation
According to the source, the victims will be transferred across the border at the Ban Klong Luek checkpoint at the Thai-Cambodian Friendship Bridge by Monday or Tuesday.
Upon arrival, they will be handed over to Thai authorities and taken to a screening centre in Sa Kaeo for further questioning.
Those found to have voluntarily participated in the scam will face legal action, while those who were deceived into working for the gang will be allowed to return home.
This latest crackdown in Poi Pet follows Thailand’s recent pressure on Myanmar to dismantle similar call-centre operations along the border, particularly in Myawaddy last week. - The Nation/ANN
