Thai National Arrested for Laundering Money for Call Centre Scams

A Thai man was arrested for laundering money for over 70 call centre gangs. He operated in Poipet for a Chinese gang, admitting to handling significant sums through mule accounts and cryptocurrency transactions. His arrest highlights ongoing issues with transnational crime and money laundering schemes in Thailand.

A Thai male, implicated in laundering money for over 70 call centre gangs, was arrested by the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) in Chiang Rai’s Mae Fah Luang district. The individual, whose identity remains undisclosed, confessed to his illegal activities after returning home to avoid a large-scale crackdown on such operations initiated in February.

Charged with involvement in transnational crime, public fraud, and entering false information into a computer system, the suspect detailed his operations in an office in Poipet run by a Chinese gang leader. His period of operation spanned from November 11, 2023, to February 13, 2025, during which the office facilitated around 30 million baht in revenue, benefiting from an 8-12% share of the scams.

He recounted the daily laundering process involving twenty Thai mule accounts, with the Chinese boss compensating between 8,000 and 12,000 baht per account. His specific duties included translating for the Chinese bosses, verifying bank applications to open mule accounts, scanning mule account holders for transfers, converting cash into Tether USDT cryptocurrency, and transferring the digital currency to the boss’s wallet. The boss then allocated USDT to each call centre gang’s wallet according to their earnings.

In summary, the arrest of the Thai man underscores the extensive operations of call centre scams and the intricate money laundering strategies employed to facilitate them. His confession reveals a systematic approach to handling illicit funds and highlights the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces in combating transnational crime. The engagement of various roles within such organizations signifies the complexity of these criminal networks and the need for continued vigilance and action by authorities.

Original Source: www.nationthailand.com