CHIANG MAI: Officers from the Provincial Police Region 5 and the Technology Crime Suppression Division, along with tourist police, on Wednesday (July 30) conducted a raid on a luxury mansion in Huay Sai subdistrict, Mae Rim District, Chiang Mai, worth around 40 million baht.
The operation was carried out under a search warrant issued by the Chiang Mai Provincial Court.
The mansion was reportedly being used as a base of operations for a gang of Chinese nationals running a call centre scam.
The group had been defrauding Chinese customers via multiple online platforms and applications. Inside the mansion, authorities found the suspects working on computers and mobile phones.
As police moved in, all of the suspects attempted to escape, with some jumping from the second floor of the mansion, which was over eight metres high.
This resulted in eight people being injured, including one who broke their leg, while others sustained minor injuries from falls and abrasions.
During the search, authorities seized over 20 computers, more than 100 mobile phones, and Chinese SIM cards used to contact victims in China. The group had defrauded over 10 Chinese victims.
Maj Gen Thawatchai Pongwiwatchai, Deputy Commander of the Provincial Police Region 5, revealed that the 18 suspects had been in Thailand for around three months, renting the mansion through a Chinese leader who organised the accommodation for the group. The gang worked around the clock, eating, sleeping, and living in the mansion.
Initial investigations show that each member of the call centre gang was paid between 10,000 to 20,000 yuan (approximately US$1,500 to 3,000) per month.
Their main task was to deceive Chinese citizens, including scams related to online product sales, requests for money transfers to solve airline or banking issues, and extorting money as part of a typical call centre scam.
Authorities are now expanding their investigation to identify the mastermind behind the operation and uncover potential cross-border criminal networks. There are strong indications that the gang is linked to larger international cybercrime syndicates. - The Nation/ANN
