CHIANG MAI, Thailand – Police have raided two luxury pool villas in Chiang Mai used as operational bases by a Chinese scam syndicate, arresting 15 suspects and seizing dozens of laptops alongside 50 smartphones. Acting on intelligence, police officers raided the properties located in Saraphi district. Ten Chinese suspects were apprehended at the first villa, where officers confiscated 10 laptops and 50 mobile phones. Another five suspects were detained at the second villa. Authorities noted that most of the suspects had entered Thailand on 60-day tourist visas and were currently overstaying, while others had entered the country illegally.
Police Major General Thawatchai Pongwiwattanachai, Deputy Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 5, disclosed that the syndicate had rented the two villas for approximately three months, paying 80,000 baht and 100,000 baht per month respectively. The workers received a monthly salary of 50,000 baht each. According to investigators, the group specifically targeted victims in China. The operation was divided into specialized teams to deceive victims through phone scams, including insurance fraud, fake parcel deliveries, and phishing schemes designed to trick targets into downloading malicious software.
The data used to contact victims is believed to have been purchased from sources in China before the operation set up its base in Chiang Mai. Fraudulent funds obtained from victims were subsequently transferred to a manager or “boss.” Immigration checks revealed that the properties had failed to report the residency of the foreign nationals to Thai authorities, as required by law. Following the raid, police plan to expand their investigation and coordinate data sharing with Chinese authorities. (TNA)
