BANGKOK, Thailand – A high-ranking Yakuza member was apprehended at Suvarnabhumi Airport while attempting to flee to Cambodia, having allegedly masterminded a multimillion-dollar call center fraud network from Phnom Penh.
The Moment of Arrest at the Check-in Counter
On June 8, 2026, Takafumi Sugawara, a 31-year-old Japanese national, was arrested. According to police reports, he was at the check-in counter preparing to depart Thailand for a third country.
Plainclothes investigators from the Central Investigation Bureau and immigration authorities intervened just before his flight. Sugawara had been using Thailand as a hiding place, with an arrest warrant issued for him in Japan.
A Yakuza Boss on the Run
Japanese investigators identified Sugawara as a leading figure within a long-established criminal organization. He is accused of directing the entire call center fraud network that operated out of Cambodia.
Thai officials immediately declared him an undesirable person. This action was based on Section 12(7) of the Immigration Act of 1979, which allows for such measures when there is a danger to public safety or at the request of foreign authorities.
The Audacious Phone Scam
According to investigators, the fraud system operated in three insidious stages. Initially, automated calls were made to victims in Japan, posing as the telecommunications giant NTT and threatening to disconnect their phone lines.
Individuals who pressed a button on their phones were then connected to actual scammers. These fraudsters impersonated police officers and prosecutors, falsely claiming the victim was involved in Yakuza activities. A substantial cash transfer was demanded to prove their innocence.
Fake Jobs and Golden Cages
The network also lured unsuspecting Japanese citizens to Phnom Penh with fraudulent job advertisements. Upon arrival, they were reportedly held against their will by the police and forced to work in the call centers.
The recruited individuals found themselves trapped. Their passports were confiscated, and the threat of the masterminds was ever-present. They were compelled to maintain the phone scam operations while Sugawara pulled the strings.
Billion-Yen Damage in Just One Year
Authorities estimate that the network was responsible for at least 40 fraud cases in 2024 alone. The total financial damage amounts to over one billion Yen.
The Japanese embassy raised the alarm, informing Thailand’s Anti-Online Fraud Center and the cross-border crime unit. Sugawara’s residence permit was immediately revoked.
Returning to Japan
Following his arrest, immigration officials transferred the suspect to an immigration detention center. He is currently awaiting his forced return flight.
The extradition process has already been initiated. In Japan, Sugawara will face charges for large-scale organized fraud.