Bangkok: Police in Region 1 seized a SIM box in a room in the Lat Phrao area after finding it was used to call and trick victims, resulting in the loss of over 70,000 baht in savings that were intended to pay off student loan debts. They are preparing to expand the investigation to link it to a call center.
According to Thai News Agency, Pol. Maj. Gen. Chayanon Meesati, Deputy Commander of Provincial Police Region 1, and Pol. Maj. Gen. Worachat Saenkam, Commander of Investigation Division, Region 1, led officers from Provincial Police Region 1 and forensic officers to inspect a room on Soi Nakniwat 21, Lat Phrao Subdistrict and District, Bangkok. They received information that it was a hiding place for SIM boxes, a telephone signal converter device used by a call center gang to deceive victims. The search uncovered 8 SIM boxes, 1 notebook computer, 1 CCTV camera, and several routers. During the search, no one came forward to claim ownership of the room.
The investigation follows from January 2015, when a convenience store employee filed a complaint with police in Samut Prakan Province, claiming she was tricked by a call center gang into transferring more than 70,000 baht. She reported that the gang called and threatened her, alleging her phone number was being used in a social media account posting defamatory messages. Out of fear, she transferred her savings, meant for her student loan debt, to the criminals. After realizing the deceit, she filed a complaint.
Samut Prakan police then coordinated with Provincial Police Region 1 to expand the investigation. It led them to a network of suspects, identified as foreigners, who rented a room in the Nakniwat area to store SIM boxes and telephone signal receivers, acting on orders from a neighboring country. Each SIM box could make calls to 32 victims, and with 8 devices, they could contact up to 256 lines at once. When officers inspected the room, all SIM boxes were disconnected, suggesting the perpetrators might have monitored the police's movements through the CCTV cameras. Authorities are continuing the investigation to track down the network for prosecution.