Singaporean scam suspect caught hiding in Isaan village

The suspect, 32 year old Eng Sie, also known as Brian, was apprehended in Dong Lan subdistrict, Si Chompu district, Khon Kaen province. Officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) tracked him down after he was flagged for overstaying his visa and identified as the subject of an Interpol red notice.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Narongrit Phumphuang, superintendent of Investigation Division 3 of the TCSD, confirmed Eng’s arrest, saying that he was wanted by the Singapore Police Force in connection with a criminal network targeting Singaporean victims.

Eng is one of 34 suspects, 27 Singaporeans and seven Malaysians, allegedly involved in a scam operation run from Phnom Penh. The group reportedly posed as government officials and coerced victims in Singapore into transferring funds.

Eng reportedly served as a finance administrator for the gang and confessed his involvement during interrogation. According to police, his superiors were both Singaporean and Malaysian nationals.

Police say the scam operation paid Eng a monthly salary of US$4,000 (roughly 130,000 baht). Officers launched the arrest operation after receiving a warrant from Chum Phae Court on November 13, according to Bangkok Post.

“Eng was hiding with his Thai wife in a rural area of Khon Kaen. He thought it was far enough to avoid attention, but we had the information, and we acted.”

The arrest was part of a broader investigation by Thailand’s Anti-Cyber Scam Centre under the Central Investigation Bureau, in collaboration with the Singapore Police Force.

According to Singapore’s CNA news outlet, three members of the syndicate have already been detained: two Singaporeans, including Eng, and one Malaysian. Legal proceedings are now underway.

Eng is currently facing immigration-related charges in Thailand, while authorities liaise with Singapore over his extradition. Thai police have not ruled out the possibility of further arrests as the cross-border probe into the scam ring continues.