10 suspects arrested for money laundering linked to call centre scam
Police arrested 10 out of 32 suspects from eight provinces in Thailand for operating a money laundering scheme worth over 2 billion baht for a call centre scam gang.
Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) held a press conference yesterday, February 18, to disclose details of the money laundering crackdown.
The operation, conducted throughout February, targeted 32 suspects involved in the crime.
Police reported that they raided 20 locations across eight provinces and succeeded in arresting 10 of the 32 suspects.
Five of those arrested were identified as key members of the money laundering gang, while the remaining five were mule account holders.
The ten suspects have been identified as:
- 27 year old Thai woman Autchara
- 35 year old Chinese man Gao
- 30 year old Chinese man Xiong
- 46 year old Chinese man Mao
- 44 year old Chinese woman Zhou
- 44 year old Thai woman Pornthip
- 31 year old Thai man Noppawit
- 21 year old Thai man Chonlathee
- 26 year old Thai woman Pantharee
- 39 year old Thai woman Supawadee
During the raids, officers confiscated valuables and assets worth over 440 million baht, which were allegedly acquired through criminal activities.
The seized items included designer goods, luxury properties such as houses and condominiums, and other accessories.
Autchara was identified as the leader of the money laundering gang in Thailand but she has denied all allegations.
She claimed that she previously worked as a tour guide for Chinese tourists in Thailand and later met her Chinese boyfriend in 2023.
Autchara stated that she and her boyfriend started a money exchange business, converting cryptocurrency from Chinese tourists into Thai baht to facilitate their travels and spending in Thailand. She claimed they charged an exchange service fee of 0.03% to 0.05% of the total amount.
However, police were unconvinced by her account, as investigations revealed that Autchara’s clients were not tourists but members of a Chinese call centre scam gang.
It is alleged that she and her boyfriend had been laundering money since 2023, converting over 2.9 billion baht from cryptocurrency into Thai baht. Portions of the illegal proceeds were allegedly spent on real estate, which is now under investigation as police aim to seize the properties.
In addition to purchasing real estate, the money laundering gang reportedly operated multiple companies that served as fronts, with no legitimate business activities, solely to launder money for the criminal network.
Police confirmed that further investigations are underway to track down the remaining suspects involved in this crime.
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