Six arrested over call centre scams in southern Thailand
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Six arrested over call centre scams in southern Thailand

The suspects may have also financed the insurgency in the deep South

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Police arrested six people allegedly involved in call centre scams and the illegal firearms trade, the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) announced yesterday, saying the suspects may have also financed the insurgency in the deep South.

The six were nabbed in the provinces of Songkhla and Yala on Tuesday following complaints about an online investment scam, said Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiewphan, CCIB acting chief.

An investigation showed that the suspects called random victims, inviting them to invest in trust with a 1,000% profit promised, said Pol Lt Gen Trairong.

However, the victims claimed they were unable to withdraw their money at maturity, he said.

The complaints led to the suspects in the provinces and the seizure of 18 illegal firearms, five methamphetamine tablets, a gramme of crystal meth, 40,000 baht in cash, gold jewellery, two cars and three motorcycles.

The initial probe also found that the suspects had been charged with murder, physical assault, and other violent crimes in the southernmost provinces.

Pol Lt Gen Trairong said the CCIB is assessing the damage caused by the scam while looking to expand the investigation into the suspects' ties with the deep South violence.

The suspects were initially charged with illegal firearms and Type-1 narcotic drug possession, he said.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) vowed to work closely with authorities in Mekong Basin countries to suppress call centre scams and transnational crimes.

At the inaugural meeting of the Mekong Subregion Prosecutor Network in Nakhon Phanom yesterday, legal experts from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia gathered to strengthen cross-border cooperation, particularly against wildlife crimes and the associated money laundering.

The event was hosted by the OAG with sponsorship from Luxemburg's Institute for Legal Support and Technical Assistance. Representatives from Indonesia's legal authority also participated as observers.

Deputy Attorney-General Jumphol Pansamrit said the meeting aimed to be a platform to discuss international crime suppression in the region, exchange news and knowledge, and push a pact for cooperation.

According to him, the Mekong Basin has been put in the global spotlight as a headquarters of transnational crime syndicates and a hotbed of several felony activities, including trading in drugs, weapons and wildlife.

The meeting focused on money laundering, he said, because it is a root cause of many other crimes.

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