A joint team of Thai and Philippine police have arrested in Manila 16 Thais and three Taiwanese for operating a phone scam which allegedly duped Thai victims out of more than 30 million baht over the past two months.
Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn, deputy commissioner of the Thai Tourist Police, said the suspects were apprehended at a two-storey luxury house surrounded by surveillance cameras in Posadas Village in the Alabang area.
Authorities found computers, phones, SIM cards, bankbooks, Thai-language scripts used to trick victims and lists of names of senior anti-money laundering and narcotics officials.
The venue had served as the gang's command centre for over a year, police said.
Pol Maj Gen Surachate said the 16 Thai suspects had called victims in Thailand under the supervision of the three Taiwanese.
Before the raid, the latest victim in Nonthaburi province had just transferred nearly 2 million baht to the gang, Pol Maj Gen Surachate said.
The stolen money was distributed through electronic-banking networks so accomplices would not have to withdraw through ATMs in Thailand, the deputy commissioner said.
