Teens detained in Chiang Mai for Cambodian call centre scam
Three teenagers were detained in Chiang Mai for allegedly operating an office to recruit people for work in a Cambodian call centre scam. They enticed people with promises of lucrative grey-area jobs, free accommodation, and natural border crossing.
Yesterday, April 8, Police Lieutenant General Kritthapol Yisakhon, the commander of the Provincial Police Region 5, revealed a collaborative operation involving several senior police officials. These included Police Major General Pichet Jiranantasinth, Police Major General Noppadol Krungkrai, Police Major General Pornpitak Ruayuenyong, and Police Major General Thanarat Choomsawat, among others.
The task force, which consisted of officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Centre and the Information Analysis and Special Tools Division, arrested three suspects: 28 year old Pornnapa, 31 year old Pornnarong, and 25 year old Sudarat.
The police seized various items, including all-in-one desktop computers, iPhone 16 ProMax, iPad 10th generation, and other electronic equipment. They were charged with jointly recruiting workers for overseas employment without permission under Section 30 of the Employment and Job Seeker Protection Act.
Before the arrest, police had been tipped off by informants about illegal recruitment activities in Chiang Mai for work in Cambodia. The investigation led them to a house in the Nong Pa Khrang subdistrict, Mueang Chiang Mai district, where the office was reportedly set up.
On Monday, April 7 at around 10.30am, officers executed a search warrant at the specified location. Pornnarong was found outside the house, and the police identified themselves and presented the warrant.
Inside the first-floor hall, Pornnapa and Sudarat were found working. The trio admitted to advertising jobs on Facebook groups, presenting the work as easy, well-paying admin jobs, while concealing the true nature of the work.
They included a link for discussions via the LINE app, where they would inform interested parties about the high-paying, free accommodation jobs that involved crossing the border through natural routes, reported KhaoSod.
The three suspects confessed to using the house in Nong Pa Khrang as their recruitment base and had successfully sent two Thai nationals to work in Cambodia. The Technology Crime Suppression Centre officers seized the evidence and handed it over to the Mae Ping Police Station in Chiang Mai for further legal proceedings.
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