Aranyaprathet: Burapha Task Force arrested four Thais who fled from Poipet after being tricked by a Chinese gang into renting a bank account, promising 10,000 baht. They ended up getting only 1,000 baht, and were also linked to 16 other money mule accounts. An investigation revealed 27 cases involving money mule accounts.
According to Thai News Agency, Burapha Task Force, in conjunction with the Aranyaprathet Task Force and the 12th Ranger Regiment's control unit, intercepted four Thais while they were illegally crossing the border from Cambodia into Thailand in the Ban Pa Rai Mai area, Pa Rai Subdistrict, Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province. The four individuals not only entered the country illegally, but were also mule accounts used by a crime gang in Poipet. Authorities seized 16 bank accounts and wallets as evidence.
All testified that they were invited through Facebook and Line advertisements to work as an administrator for a gambling website and rent bank accounts, with a high compensation offer of 10,000 baht per account. They believed the offer and traveled from various locations, including Bangkok, Nakhon Sawan, and Rayong, to the border province of Sa Kaeo. Upon arriving in Poipet, their Chinese employer confiscated their bank books and mobile phones and detained them in a rented house. They were required to scan their faces multiple times to verify their identities for financial transactions. Ultimately, they received only 1,000 baht in compensation.
The group of victims were later abandoned in an abandoned house on the Cambodian side, without food or any assistance. Fearful and hungry, they walked through the Pek forest for over four hours, trying to find a way back to Thailand. They were then met by a patrol of rangers and taken into custody.
A preliminary investigation revealed that these individuals had 27 financial cases involving money laundering. Authorities therefore detained all four individuals, along with the evidence, and sent them to the Khlong Luek Police Station for prosecution on charges of illegal immigration and further investigation into the money laundering cases.