KHON KAEN: A Russian, a Taiwanese and five Thais have been arrested for allegedly defrauding a victim in Mukdahan province of 1.6 million baht last year through a phone scam.
Pol Lt Gen Surachai Kuandachacupt, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 5, identified the suspects as Dmitry Gordeev, 30, of Russia, Su Wern Kog, 65, of Taiwan, Waraporn Potisan, 29, from Udon Thani province, Saipin Jankaeo, 36 from Prachuap Khiri Khan, Pemika Neepai, 33 from Prachuap Khiri Khan, Winai Chaichanamongkol, 33, from Sa Kaeo and Chanida Praesaeng, 27 from Mae Hong Son.
They had been arrested during the course of an investigation starting last year and continuing to mid-January.
The Thai suspects were arrested in their native provinces. The Russian was caught in Pattaya in November. He had a Thai wife and lived in a rented house. The Taiwanese man was the suspected head of the phone scam and was arrested in Samut Prakan in December.
Police seized many bank passbooks, ATM cards and mobile phones found in their possession.
Provincial Police Region 4 started its investigation after receiving an initial complaint from a well-to-do victim in Mukdahan last July.
Gang members would phone people claiming to be an official of Thailand Post, claim the intended victim was believed to be involved with illegal drugs and would have to pay money to clear their name.
The gang lured victims into giving them their ID card numbers and copies of personal documents that were used to open internet banking access to their victims' bank accounts and to then steal money, Pol Lt Gen Surachai said.
Police were expanding their investigation into other cases, he said.
The gang had bases in Taiwan, India and Russia, and called random phone numbers daily using Voice over Internet Protocol that allowed them to display false caller numbers.
The Taiwanese and Russian suspects had financial expertise and data about financial institutions. Some of the arrested Thais were graduates in finance and economics, Pol Lt Gen Surachai said.
He quoted the Thai suspects as saying they withdrew money transferred by victims, took a 2% cut and transferred the rest to the two foreigners.