Chiang Rai: Cyber police have arrested a conscripted soldier who impersonated a police lieutenant to defraud victims through video calls, resulting in over 800 million baht in damages.
According to Thai News Agency, Pol. Lt. Gen. Trirong Phiwpaen, Commander of the Technology Crime Investigation Division, led the interrogation of Mr. Anuwat, a suspect with an arrest warrant from the Criminal Court. The warrant was issued following an investigation by Mukdahan Police Station into a scheme where victims were deceived into believing they were implicated in a drug case. Victims were then tricked into transferring money to prove their innocence, leading to 151 victims, including a television news anchor.
Investigators gathered sufficient evidence to track and arrest Mr. Anuwat at the Mengrai Maharaj Camp in Mueang Chiang Rai District, Chiang Rai Province. During the initial interrogation, Mr. Anuwat confessed to his involvement, revealing his previous role as an administrator for an online gambling website in a neighboring country before returning to Thailand. Upon his return, he was lured back into working for the online platform, only to find himself assigned to a call center operation run by both Thais and Chinese individuals.
Mr. Anuwat admitted that the operation involved using a script to deceive victims. He cited the lucrative income as his motivation for participating in the fraudulent activities before being drafted into the army and subsequently arrested.