Cyber police raid Chiang Mai resort, bust illegal call centre
Cyber police and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) carried out a raid on a luxurious resort in Chiang Mai, uncovering a Chinese gang operating an illegal call centre targeting Thai victims. The operation, which involved over 20 officers, took place yesterday afternoon, leading to the arrest of several individuals and the seizure of numerous illegal telecommunications devices.
The raid, occurring at 3pm, yesterday, December 4, was led by Nattathorn Praosunthorn, a legal advisor for the NBTC and chairman of the subcommittee on the integration of technology crime law enforcement, along with officials from the cyber police division. The team, armed with a search warrant from the Chiang Mai Provincial Court, descended upon a sprawling resort located in Moo 4 along the Hang Dong-Samoeng Road in Ban Pong, Hang Dong district.
This extensive property, spanning over 20 rai, features lavish vacation homes interspersed amongst the scenic natural surroundings and is typically closed to the public, having been shut down during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The police discovered a 31 year old Chinese man, holding Cambodian citizenship, along with nine other Chinese nationals and four Myanmar nationals residing within the premises. Inside the homes, police found a wealth of computers, telecommunications equipment, and numerous illegal Internet devices, all of which were seized for further investigation.
This crackdown follows the directives of Kittirat Phanphet, the National Police Chief, and other high-ranking officials, who have been prioritizing the fight against crimes impacting public welfare, especially those involving call centre scams.
The resort’s unusual Internet usage, which was disproportionately high compared to the number of reported guests, drew the attention of cyber police. The NBTC, utilising special tools, confirmed these suspicions, leading to the eventual raid and arrests.
Police raid
Trirong Phiwphan, from the cyber police, commented on the operation.
“This resort had ceased operations during the pandemic and was not open to the public. However, there was a notable influx of foreigners, raising suspicions which led us to monitor their activities closely.”
Nattathorn added that over recent months, the NBTC, in collaboration with the Royal Thai Police, has been actively clamping down on illegal telecommunications infrastructure, including signal towers and cross-border telecommunication lines. This enforcement has forced some call centre gangs to relocate their operations within Thailand.
The recent bust in Chiang Mai exemplifies the cooperative efforts between the NBTC and law enforcement to dismantle these call centre operations while concurrently working on legal reforms to enhance public safety.
The gang’s activities fall under the crime of interfering or obstructing telecommunications, a violation under Section 26 of the Telecommunications Act B.E. 2498 (1955), which carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment or a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both, reported KhaoSod.
All seized items will undergo a thorough examination to gather further evidence for prosecuting additional related offences. The apprehended individuals have been transferred to investigators at the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau 4 for further action.
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