Lampang: Metropolitan Police investigators have apprehended a 38-year-old former bank employee in Lampang Province for allegedly assisting a call center gang in setting up fraudulent accounts. The accused has denied the charges, with authorities issuing 33 arrest warrants related to the case.
According to Thai News Agency, the arrest by the Metropolitan Police Bureau was made in Hang Chat District. The individual was wanted for charges related to aiding and abetting fraud, as well as facilitating the fraudulent input of data into a computer system.
Police Major General Chotiwat Luengwilai, who leads the Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, disclosed that the arrest followed a request for assistance from a bank. The bank had observed suspicious activities by employees, including frequent fund reservations with claims of imminent customer withdrawals. Within three days, 24 million baht was withdrawn from four accounts, all identified as mule accounts.
The arrested bank employee was not directly involved in account openings or handling deposits and withdrawals. Instead, he leveraged his seniority and rapport with colleagues to solicit their assistance. Two employees were approached for help, though neither was part of the scheme.
While the former bank employee has yet to confess, officials possess incriminating evidence. It was revealed that the individual received incentives such as luxury bags and dining experiences. The mule account was opened in late July, but significant withdrawals occurred from October 4th to 6th, amounting to 24 million baht. Investigations into the mastermind behind the operation continue, with indications of a foreign network’s involvement.
Further investigations uncovered that new accounts were linked to corporate mule accounts, prompting an expanded inquiry and the issuance of 33 arrest warrants. Of these, 23 arrests have already been made across different regions.
The Royal Thai Police’s online complaint system (TPO) reported 291 cases involving corporate accounts nationwide, resulting in damages exceeding 160 million baht. In Bangkok alone, 16 cases were identified, with damages surpassing 39 million baht.