Bangkok man arrested for selling unauthorised SIM cards online for 40 baht

A 41 year old Thai man was arrested yesterday for selling unauthorised SIM cards through Facebook. This was part of a three-month investigation led by police officers Worawit Yanchinda, Wasan Thawatchaiwirut, Nat Thadanai Bamrungsri, and Narongdet.

The accused, Chaiyot, was apprehended in a parking lot at a Ratchayothin Zone mall in Lat Yao, Chatuchak, Bangkok, with 1,465 SIM cards, a blue mobile phone, and three brown boxes as evidence.

This arrest stemmed from the police’s ongoing investigation into technology-related crimes. It was reported that a Facebook user named Yotzar Mbk was advertising in the group Selling SIMs with registration/all networks. The police were informed that the SIM cards were registered in other people’s names, which could potentially be used for criminal activities by call centre gangs or other nefarious individuals.

After reporting to their superiors, the police were ordered to follow up on the investigation and arrest the offender according to the law. The police then contacted the suspect to purchase 1,000 registered SIM cards for 40,000 baht. The exchange was scheduled for yesterday at 1pm at a mall in the Ratchayothin zone.

Around noon, Chaiyot led the police to his car in the parking lot to receive the SIM cards. After verifying that the SIMs were indeed registered, the police revealed their identities and arrested Chaiyot.

During the interrogation, Chaiyot admitted that he was a rider and had been buying SIM cards registered under other people’s names for 36 baht each and reselling them for 40 baht each. He would order 1,500 SIM cards at a time and had been doing this for about three months.

Police informed him of his charges and rights and took him to the Phahon Yothin Police Station for further legal proceedings.

Initially, Chaiyot was charged with arranging, advertising, or spreading news in any way to buy or sell mobile phone numbers registered under the name of another person who cannot be identified (according to Sections 10 and 11 of the Prevention and Suppression of Technology Crimes Act, BE 2556). He was then taken to the Phahon Yothin Police Station for further legal action, reported KhaoSod.