International phone fraud ring busted in Chiang Mai

Thaivisa.com reported about 100 police from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), along with tourist police and highway police, executed warrants at 11 houses at several well-known Chiang Mai housing estates Tuesday as part of a concerted effort to close the gang's operation down.

According to police, most of the suspects taken into custody were good-looking females who would use prepared scripts to trick people into making online money transfers.

Police said the raids netted telephones, computers, communication equipment and the scripts used by the gang, as well as a safe belonging to a core Taiwanese leader of the gang containing Thai and Chinese currency totaling Bt50 million (about $US1.47 million).

The raid was coordinated by Police Major General Panya Mamen, deputy commander of the CIB, who said authorities have been trying to locate the gang's headquarters for several years.

He said the gang had been extremely difficult to track down because they had constantly moved from one location to another.

According to Panya the gang appeared to have a slick method of operating, with the telephone operators having carefully worded and convincing scripts that were capable of persuading Thai and Chinese citizens to make online money transfers.

Police investigations into the activities of the gang are continuing, but it is estimated they have defrauded billions of baht from people over the years.

The 94 people arrested are currently being held at the Highway Police Station in Chiang Mai and will face court on a variety of charges at a later date.