An Indian man and three Thai women were detained for questioning during police raids on 36 premises in four provinces on Tuesday targeting phone scammers who tricked 365 elderly Americans into sending them more than 3 billion baht.
The morning raids in Chon Buri, Rayong, Samut Prakan and Roi Et provinces were led by Pol Gen Torsak Sukwimol, deputy national police chief, and Pol Lt Gen Worawat Watnakhonbancha, commissioner of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) and involved police commandos, CCIB officers and officials from the Anti-Money Laundering Office.
At a house in tambon Nong Phrue of Bang Lamung district in Chon Buri, many bank account books, 10 mobile phones, four cars and one pistol with ammunition were seized. The house owner, an Indian man, and three Thai women were taken in for questioning.
Pol Gen Torsak said it was a joint operation against international crime and involved the Royal Thai Police, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and US Secret Service.
The two US agencies had received a report that many US citizens had fallen victim to phone scammers claiming to be FBI agents. They were fooled into transferring their money "for examination". They were told there were unusual transactions linked to their bank accounts, Pol Gen Torsak said.
Most of the victims were aged 60 years or more. Over the past two years, a total of 365 Americans had been swindled out of the equivalent of more than 3 billion baht by the scammers, the deputy national police chief said.
Investigators found out the conmen based their operation in Thailand.
National police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas had ordered the CCIB to investigate, which led to Tuesday morning's raids, he said. More details would be announced on Wednesday.
Police inspect one of four cars seized from a house in Chon Buri. (Photo supplied/ Chaiyot Pupattanapong)
Items including bank account books and mobile phones seized from a house in Chon Buri, one of the 36 premises raided by police on Tuesday. (Photo supplied/ Wassayos Ngamkham)