Policeman, official caught selling information to call centre gang

A POLICEMAN and a government official have been caught selling information about Thai citizens to a call centre gang and were paid 20,000 baht a day or 600,000 baht a month, Matichon newspaper said today (Oct. 28).

Deputy National Police chief Pol. Gen. Torsak Sukvimol said the two suspects were among 16 arrested in the operation entitled “Pluck the Dragon’s Wings.”

Eight of the suspects were hired to open money mule accounts, one collected these accounts for their Chinese boss while two of them gathered information about Thais for use in defrauding them.

Investigation revealed that the policeman and the official held positions where they were able to gather information about Thais for their Chinese boss and it appears they had been doing so for a long time with data of a thousand victims sent.

The policeman holds the rank of police lieutenant colonel and he was found to have searched for information about the victims numerous times.

The official held a low-level rank at a ministry in Sanambin Nam area and was able to collect information about the victims’ trade registration and registered capital to single out those who are well-off for the crime boss.

The two of them were arrested after the banks alerted police that cash is constantly flowing from what appears to be money mule accounts to ones held by the suspects.

The latest victim is a doctor in Chiang Mai. The call centre gangsters had opened a fake Department of Special Investigation (DSI) website and then contacted the victim saying he had committed a criminal offence and his bank accounts had to be checked. They had also sent a fake arrest warrant with the victim’s photo on it as well as details about his business.

The victim had then transferred 6,970,000 baht to the criminals before realising he had been swindled and filing a complaint on Sept. 21, 2022.

CAPTION:

Pol. Gen. Torsak Sukwimol together with two other police officers giving details about this case. Photos: Matichon

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