NSC meets to discuss power cuts for gangs
text size

NSC meets to discuss power cuts for gangs

Listen to this article
Play
Pause

The National Security Council has called for a meeting today with several sides involved in the government's bid to cut electricity supplies to areas in neighbouring Myanmar believed to be linked to illegal activities, Chatchai Bangchuad, secretary-general of the NSC, said yesterday.

The meeting would discuss information gathered on illegal activities, including call centre scams, to reach a conclusion on which border areas would face a power cut-off, he said. Key parties which will attend the meeting are the armed forces, Ministry of Interior, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA).

Last week, Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul sent a letter to the NSC seeking information about illegal activities in five areas in Myanmar to which PEA supplies electricity. Despite having the authority to stop the supply of power to these areas, the ministry still needs more information from other agencies concerned, he said.

This lengthy process of verifying which areas are to be cut off from electricity supplies has led to claims the government is taking too long to pull the plug on sinister operations across the border. Some speculate about rifts in the coalition over the matter.

In another development, a Hong Kong national has been rescued from a call centre scam gang operating in Myanmar's Myawaddy, according to a source. The Royal Thai Army was asked by the Office of the Narcotics Control Board on Jan 31 to help locate and rescue 12 Hong Kong people who no longer wanted to work for the gang. Their location is believed to be an area controlled by the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA).

The rescue operation was conducted by the army with cooperation from DKBA through the Thai military attaché in Rangoon. Yi Chui Suet, 31, one of the victims, was rescued and taken back to Thailand. He is now awaiting repatriation to Hong Kong.

Meanwhile, a Chinese national believed to be involved with at least two call centre scam gangs in Cambodia was arrested at a condominium in Pracha Uthit area in Bangkok yesterday.

Chun Shen Liao, 37, was held in connection with the use of SIM boxes to enable scam gangs to reach victims by phone in Thailand. Four suspects in the SIM boxes operation were arrested on Friday and told police they were hired by Mr Chun. Police found Mr Chun has a long criminal record in Taiwan and is wanted by Taiwanese police in various fraud and scamming cases.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT