Korean call centre kingpin arrested in Thailand
Immigration police arrested a 51 year old South Korean fugitive wanted for orchestrating a call centre scam that drained victims of millions.
Operating from China, the South Korean national, known as Oh, masterminded a sophisticated operation, manipulating phone calls and text messages to deceive unsuspecting South Koreans. Under various guises, he coerced victims into transferring substantial sums, amassing a staggering total of 200 million won, approximately US$150,000 (approximately 5 million baht), from six individuals in just a fortnight.
Fleeing South Korea after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest, Oh sought refuge in Pattaya, Thailand. However, thanks to the collaboration between South Korean and Thai authorities, his days on the run came to an abrupt end.
Cornered in a residential compound in Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri province, Oh now faces charges for visa overstay, reported KhaoSod English.
He has been detained at the Pattaya City Police Station pending further investigation and extradition back to South Korea.
In related news, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has dismantled a notorious call-centre syndicate operating from Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Led by DSI’s acting director-general Police Major Yutthana Praedam, the crackdown unveiled a web of deceit spanning across Thailand, China, and Russia. A total of 71 suspects, comprising 52 Chinese nationals and 19 Thai accomplices, were arrested during the raid orchestrated by DSI officers.
In other news, police arrested two women and three Thai men for orchestrating a romance scam spanning six years, during which they swindled a millionaire out of more than 63 million baht. The Thai millionaire realised he was being scammed after nearly going bankrupt. He revealed the whole story to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) leading to the arrest of the main romance scammer on February 27 in the central province of Ayutthaya. According to the victim, he met the scammer on a dating website in 2016.
