21 suspects captured in crackdown on scam operations in Cambodia
Thailand’s cyber police task force along with officials from the Digital Economy and Society Ministry have brought back 21 suspects who allegedly operated call centres in Cambodia targeting Thai people.
The suspects were hunted down in a joint Thai-Cambodian crackdown in three locations on Friday morning.
The first site was YN Hotel in Phnom Penh, where two suspects were arrested. The hotel’s fourth to eighth floors were used as residential quarters, while a call centre operated from the ninth floor. This gang allegedly conned people into investing in digital currency via the Digital Alliance website. The victims, mostly Thais, have lost up to 200 million in this scam.
The second location was a four-storey building opposite Sihanoukville’s Sokha Vegas Casino, where six suspects were arrested. This building housed a call centre and a team of workers who were forced to stay indoors by their Chinese boss. This call centre also targeted Thais with calls being made by people pretending to be police officers or officials from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). This operation is believed to have scammed people out of 300 million baht.
The third location was the Chinatown GM Office in Sihanoukville where 13 people were arrested. This building also served as accommodation and a workplace for scammers who tricked people into playing games for money. The scammers pretended to be linked to the Central department store or PTT Group. Most victims were Thais, who lost at least 500 million baht in total.
The 21 suspects, many of whom are Chinese and Cambodian nationals, have been taken to Sa Kaew immigration headquarters for prosecution. Cambodian police, meanwhile, have launched a manhunt for others who may have been involved in the scam.
