Bangkok: Authorities raided seven locations in central Bangkok, dismantling a pink card issuance ring and finding numerous illegal immigrants in a Din Daeng apartment complex. Over 100 officers, deployed in five operational teams, raided these locations as part of an operation titled "Cleaning Up the City," targeting a network illegally issuing identity cards to stateless individuals known as "pink cards with the number 7." The operation uncovered irregularities involving the illegal transfer of a large number of foreign nationals into Din Daeng flats. Authorities are now preparing to expand the investigation to find connections to transnational organized crime.
According to Thai News Agency, Pol. Lt. Gen. Nophasil Phoolsawat, Commander of the Royal Thai Police Headquarters, worked in collaboration with Bangkok Metropolitan Police, the Department of Provincial Administration, the DOPA team, and other related agencies to mobilize the operation. The operation was divided into five teams, each tasked with searching seven targets, to investigate a syndicate involved in the illegal issuance of identity cards to individuals without registered status.
An inspection of over 5,700 flats in Din Daeng revealed 44 rooms with a large number of occupants registered, each with at least 16 people, totaling over 1,300 individuals. The majority were foreigners, having moved in as early as 2024. This raised suspicion as the rooms were small, yet so many people were registered as occupants.
Police gathered evidence and issued arrest warrants for seven individuals, including three government officials, as well as the homeowner, brokers, and those involved in providing false statements. A key issue is that foreign nationals whose names were entered into the system received a "Pink Card Number 7," allowing them to live and conduct transactions in Thailand under legally defined rights. This could be linked to horse accounts, scammers, or transnational criminal networks. Consequently, police collaborated with various agencies including the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Department of Special Investigation. One of the targets searched was a room on the 5th floor of Building 4, where officers found the homeowner who had vouched for the foreign nationals' residence, along with several important documents.
During the search, authorities discovered alien passports, alien work certificates, and several other identification documents belonging to foreign nationals, which were seized as evidence. Initial investigations revealed clear irregularities in this accommodation in 2024. Within just two days, 35 foreign nationals were reported residing there. Furthermore, all seven suspects named in the arrest warrants have been apprehended and taken to Din Daeng Police Station for further legal proceedings.
Recently, a resident of a Din Daeng flat, one of the victims of the fraudulent scheme, revealed the modus operandi of the operation. She described it as systematic and carried out by influential individuals. The process began with an intermediary befriending and deceiving her sister by claiming they would only add three names to the household registration. However, it was later discovered that more than 10 foreign names had been added, and the signatures did not match the documents previously signed by her sister.
The victim recounted that she was unaware of the matter beforehand because the group had tried to conceal it. It was only when she went to register her sister's name that she discovered the foreign nationals' names had been registered in her neighborhood. Upon reporting the matter to the district office, she received an inappropriate response, leading her to file a police report. Upon returning to her apartment, she was threatened by one of the suspects, suggesting collusion between the group and government officials. He claimed they used a front company to process documents for foreign nationals and had expanded their network by renting rooms in various locations. Despite their influence, the victim emphasized that they could not continue to illegally use foreign nationals' names in their community and stressed the importance of earning a living legally.