Thai Police Arrest 13 Suspects in South Korean Scam Center Raid

Thai authorities arrested 12 South Koreans and one Chinese national on September 1 during a raid on a rented house in Samut Prakan province. Police seized 51 VoIP devices, 20 computers, 20 mobile phones, and internet signal repeaters from the location. Investigators also recovered forged South Korean official documents, scam scripts, and contact lists containing the names and phone numbers of over 1,000 South Korean nationals. The suspects allegedly posed as South Korean public prosecutors to trick victims into transferring money for verification of criminal offenses. The operation ran from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays to mimic official office hours. The group reportedly entered Thailand six months ago and relocated every two months to avoid detection. In a separate operation on Monday, police arrested a 67 year old South Korean man named Ahn Hoon in Prachuap Khiri Khan. He is wanted in South Korea for investment fraud totaling 1.05 billion baht and allegedly defrauded three people of 147 million baht through fake property projects in Thailand. While the center lean source focused on the specific operational details and the total financial damage of multiple raids, the center right lean source framed the event within a broader regional context, noting that raids in Cambodia and Myanmar have pushed criminal groups to establish new hubs in the region.