Thai-Indian man arrested at border with 15.7 million baht suspicious cash
Police arrested a Thai-Indian man after he entered Thailand from Cambodia with 15.7 million baht in cash, which he claimed to have won from gambling.
Officials from the Sa Kaeo Immigration Office stopped the Indian-born Thai man at the Khlong Luek Border Checkpoint in Aranyaprathet district, in the northeastern province of Sa Kaeo, yesterday, February 23. He was wearing a dark T-shirt and grey trousers and carrying a blue backpack.
The man was identified as 47 year old Ohm. He presented documents to officials confirming that he held Thai citizenship and owned a house in Bangkok. His backpack was filled with 1,000-baht banknotes, amounting to 15.7 million baht.
Ohm told officials that he had won the money from gambling at a casino in Poipet, Cambodia. However, the officials were unconvinced by his claim and suspected that the money was linked to a call centre scam gang.
Additionally, bringing a large sum of money into Thailand requires a prior declaration to the Customs Department. As no such declaration was made, the cash was deemed suspicious, leading to its temporary confiscation and legal charges against Ohm.
The Thai-Indian man has been charged under Section 242 of the Customs Act for importing goods without a customs permit. The offence carries a penalty of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both.
Furthermore, importing more than 450,000 baht into the country without informing officials is punishable by up to three years in prison, a fine of up to 20,000 baht, or both.
Amid growing political and public pressure to crack down on call centre scam gangs, the Thai government has intensified measures against scammers operating in Thailand and neighbouring countries.
The crackdown began with cutting off electricity and Internet access to suspected scam bases in Myanmar, along with halting petrol deliveries. This was followed by the arrests of leading scam gang members in Thailand, including both Thai and Chinese nationals.
Meanwhile, the Cambodian news outlet Poipet News reported on Saturday, February 22, that Cambodian police also launched a crackdown on call centre scam gangs in Poipet.
Cambodian police arrested 215 individuals, 109 of whom were Thai nationals. All those arrested remain under investigation by Cambodian police.
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