CHIANG MAI, THAILAND – Police in northern Thailand arrested four suspects and blocked the withdrawal of 300,000 baht from a suspected mule account linked to an alleged call-center scam.
Alarm from bank branch
Around 3:55 p.m., Police Region 5 was notified by the financial crime unit of Krungthai Bank about a suspicious cash withdrawal at the Pratu Chiang Mai branch, authorities said. Officers were dispatched to the branch on Chang Lor Road in Phra Singh subdistrict.
When police arrived, they found a woman at the counter attempting to withdraw 300,000 baht in cash. The transaction was immediately halted and the woman was detained for questioning.
Arrest of main suspect
According to police, the woman was identified as Chuda Mangma, 33, from Khon Kaen province. She was found with cash, a bank book, an ATM card and a mobile phone at the counter.
Investigators said she admitted opening the account under instructions from others. She reportedly told officers she did not own the money and had only been ordered to make the withdrawal.
Three alleged accomplices detained nearby
In a follow-up search of the area, officers arrested three alleged accomplices who were believed to be monitoring and directing the withdrawal nearby. Among them was Arr Wai, a 27-year-old Myanmar national described by police as the suspected coordinator.
Also detained were Phipop, 37, a Myanmar national also known as Sang who holds a pink card for stateless persons, and Jongfu, 25, also known as Afu, who police said has no civil registration status. All were taken into custody for further questioning.
Links to online fraud and immigration law
Account records showed that shortly before the attempted withdrawal, a victim had transferred 300,000 baht into the targeted account. Police said this transfer formed part of an online fraud case reported in Saraburi province, with total losses of 2.4 million baht.
In addition to fraud-related offenses, one of the suspects was being investigated for a violation of the Immigration Act 1979, according to police. Details of the alleged immigration offense were not disclosed.
Trail leads to foreign mastermind
All four detainees were handed over to Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station, where criminal proceedings were being initiated. Investigators said they were expanding the probe based on evidence collected so far.
The group reportedly claimed they had acted on the orders of a Chinese boss. Thai associates allegedly arranged hotels and rental cars, covered expenses and recruited people to open bank accounts and withdraw cash, police said.
Officers stated they had already gathered evidence against at least two additional suspects and intended to widen the investigation. Authorities suggested the case could be part of a broader network using mule accounts to move fraudulent funds.
Bank reacts quickly – is it enough?
In this case, 300,000 baht was about to be withdrawn when the bank alert stopped the payout. Four suspects were arrested, and the investigation pointed to an apparent foreign ringleader behind the operation.
The incident raised questions about how effective such controls are and whether banks should intervene even earlier in suspicious transactions. It also highlighted ongoing concerns over the scale of mule accounts in Thailand and their role in online fraud schemes.