BANGKOK – Thailand launched a major crackdown on international call-centre fraud on Monday, as the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) was ordered to form a special committee to probe large-scale scams nationwide, including alleged links to politicians and the Prince Group.
Government orders special taskforce
The move followed a meeting of the committee on the prevention and suppression of technology crime chaired by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who gave the green light for comprehensive investigations. Justice Minister Police Lieutenant General Rutthapon Naowarat announced that the Justice Ministry will lead the campaign against internet crime and organised fraud, with support from the Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) and the Bank of Thailand.
“We will investigate all major cases across the country,” Rutthapon said, stressing an unprecedented level of inter-agency cooperation to tackle the problem.
No one above the law
The special committee will examine allegations that tie certain Thai politicians to fraud operations. Rutthapon said no names of politicians had been officially cited so far, but that anyone found involved would be held accountable regardless of their position.
He welcomed the cooperation of People’s Party MP Rangsiman Rome, who has publicly flagged potential links between politicians and scam networks. “The committee is open to all credible evidence,” Rutthapon added.
Prince Group under scrutiny
Investigators will also probe possible connections between Prince International Co Ltd and the broader Prince Group, a conglomerate led by businessman Chen Zhi. Chen is listed on US sanctions lists, and Amlo Secretary-General Thepsu Bawornchotdara said authorities were examining whether Chen Zhi holds assets in Thailand or whether his companies have direct links to local firms.
Cross-border operations and coerced victims
Authorities said the frauds are increasingly industrial in scale and are being directed from across Thailand’s borders, particularly from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Criminal gangs reportedly coerce abducted victims to lure people via social media and dating apps as part of elaborate scams.
Those tactics have posed a growing enforcement challenge, the government said, and the new special committee will coordinate countermeasures and seek to map the international networks behind the operations.
Financial damage and public scrutiny
The scale of reported losses has been large: in recent months, damages were said to have reached into the billions. The establishment of the special committee marked a turning point in Thailand’s fight against organised cybercrime, signalling a tougher, more coordinated approach.
As investigators begin their work, public attention will focus on whether probes reach high-level figures and on how effectively the new taskforce can disrupt well-entrenched cross-border networks.