Bangkok: Police have intensified border security to crack down on scammer networks. Police have stepped up security along the border to intercept transnational scammer networks attempting to enter the country illegally, declaring emphatically that "Thailand is not a safe haven."
According to Thai News Agency, Pol. Maj. Gen. Chaturaphat Phiromkaew, Commander of the Foreign Affairs Division and Deputy Spokesperson of the Royal Thai Police, stated that following the recent intensified crackdown on transnational cyber fraud networks in neighboring countries, the Royal Thai Police has observed an increased number of attempts by foreigners involved in these networks to illegally cross the border into Thailand. The Royal Thai Police reiterates its "Zero Tolerance" policy, emphasizing that Thailand will absolutely not serve as a hideout, base of operations, or transit route for transnational organized crime.
Over the past several weeks, integrated operations between the Immigration Bureau, Border Patrol Police, Highway Police Division, military, and local administrative agencies have led to several significant arrests. A prime example is the apprehension of a group of Chinese nationals attempting to illegally cross the Moei River into Thailand. The suspects confessed to fleeing the Shwe Kokko Special Economic Zone in Myanmar because they could no longer tolerate forced labor in a call center syndicate and were using Thailand as a transit route back to their country. Simultaneously, on the eastern border, authorities arrested six Chinese nationals linked to a call center syndicate network attempting to illegally enter the country through natural border crossings at the Soi Dao border crossing in Chanthaburi province. This group admitted to seeking refuge in Thailand to find a third country due to intense crackdowns and pressure from Cambodian authorities. These cases clearly demonstrate that these individuals are evading heavy law enforcement in their home countries and are using Thailand as a transit hub to evade arrest or relocate to a third country.
Under the policy and direction of Police General Kittirat Panpetch, the Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police, the Royal Thai Police has elevated border security measures to the highest level. Joint operational units have been established to block natural border crossings, and strict checkpoints have been set up along major and minor transportation routes nationwide. These measures are in place to ensure that members of transnational criminal networks attempting to illegally enter the country are immediately apprehended and prosecuted to the fullest extent of Thai law.
The deputy spokesperson of the Royal Thai Police emphasized that the Royal Thai Police has been working closely with international law enforcement agencies to exchange in-depth information about the movements of these networks. The Royal Thai Police remains committed to its mission of maintaining security in the region and will continue to thwart and dismantle any criminal networks that attempt to exploit Thailand's territory.
The Royal Thai Police wishes to issue a strong warning to all transnational criminal groups that any attempt to establish a base of operations for fraud in Thailand, or to use Thai territory as a transit route for illegal activities, will face swift, decisive, and unforgiving law enforcement.