Thai police arrest Taiwanese gang in Bt100 mln fraud

Central Investigation Bureau Commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Thangai Prasjaksattru told a press conference that the eight Taiwan nationals were apprehended while they were withdrawing cash from ATMs in Bangkok’s Pratunam area.

Police also seized 659 foreign ATM cards, four computer notebooks, 20 cell phones and a large amount of computer accessories in their possession, said Gen Thangai.

He said the telephone fraud ring members had admitted to investigators during questioning that they had rung Chinese victims instructing them to transfer money to specified bank accounts "to pay taxes and other service fees". The money would be paid into ATMs in Thailand with flashdrives being used to check accounts and with funds deposited or withdrawn by computer.

The total amount swindled exceeded 20 million yuan or some Bt100 million, with each gang member receiving between 5-10 per cent out of the total money paid by a victim, said Gen Thangai.

The authorities in Taiwan said Taiwanese telephone fraud rings have set up new 'call centres' in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines after Taiwan and China joined in crime-fighting and judicial collaboration following an across-strait pact in April 2009. The task of the 'call centre' operators is to ring mobile phone numbers and con people into transferring money to specified bank accounts.