Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn will go to Cambodia today to work with Cambodian police to track down a Chinese-led scam gang based in Poipet who have been linked to a family tragedy in Samut Prakan.
Pol Gen Surachate yesterday called a meeting with police investigators at Samut Prakan's Muang station to follow up on the progress of a family case in which three died.
He said a warrant had been approved for the arrest of Sanit Dokmai, 41, who allegedly killed his wife Wipaporn Racha, 44, and their sons, aged 9 and 13.
Mr Sanit tried unsuccessfully to commit suicide, slashing his own throat and wrist, and is currently being treated in hospital.
The extended police investigation led to the issuing of arrest warrants for phone scammers linked to the online fraud and huge debt which apparently is what triggered the man to kill his family.
The wife fell victim to the scammers and was cheated out of a reported 1.7 million baht, leading the devastated husband to kill her and their children and then to try and end his own life.
Pol Gen Surachate said police have court approval to arrest 11 suspects who owned the mule bank accounts associated with the scam gang.
Two of the suspects have already been arrested.
He said the two suspects were residents in Sa Kaeo. They were told to withdraw cash from their mule accounts and then cross the border to deliver the money to the Chinese gang leader in Poipet.
On Tuesday night, Suchada Chabutsri, 19, who opened a bank account for the scam gang, was arrested when she returned across the border from Poipet, Pol Col Rung Thongmon, chief of Sa Kaeo immigration police, said yesterday.
Ms Suchada was wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Samut Prakan Provincial Court on Aug 28 for colluding in fraud, putting false information into a computer system and opening a bank account and allowing others to use it for fraudulent purposes.
Pol Gen Surachate said police seized the bank accounts, cash and ATM cards of those involved.
He would go to Cambodia today to coordinate with Cambodian police hunting down the scammers.
"The murder case traumatised people and drew media attention and in particular was the cause of the tragedy that was linked to debts from being tricked by scammers," he said.