Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) officers arrested nine suspects for the personal data trafficking, which caused damage worth more than 2 billion baht.
Officers from the CIB announced the arrests during a press conference on June 23, following an operation named Cut Down Scam 2. The investigation followed an earlier crackdown at the end of last year, in which six suspects were detained.
According to police, the initial operation revealed that personal data belonging to more than nine million people in Thailand had been leaked. The information included names, ages, phone numbers and addresses, along with nearly 500 images of identification cards found in the group’s possession.
Investigators believe the data was sold to call centre scam groups at around 10 baht per record. The case is linked to 13,677 complaints filed through an online reporting system, with total reported losses exceeding 2 billion baht.
Further investigation led officers to identify additional suspects, prompting officers to launch the second crackdown, Cut Down Scam 2.
In the latest operation, officers raided 22 suspicious locations across multiple provinces including Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Lampang, Nakhon Sawan, Lop Buri, Khon Kaen, Amnat Charoen, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ayutthaya and Bangkok.
Police arrested nine suspects identified as 26 year old Boonrak, 53 year old Somkuan, 24 year old Saengkaeo, 21 year old Azharie, 38 year old Chakkri, 31 year old Poonsab, 23 year old Watin, 29 year ols Nanthawant, and 31 year old Weerayut.
Items seized included five laptops, six desktop computers, a phone farm unit, two data storage devices, 31 mobile phones and tablets, 112 SIM cards, 10 bankbooks, three ATM cards, two personal loan cards, one car, three passports, two firearms, 42 rounds of ammunition and 775,000 baht in cash.
The suspects have been charged under several laws, including the Royal Decree on the Prevention and Suppression of Technology-Related Crimes, the Personal Data Protection Act, the Computer Crime Act and the Criminal Code. Police have not yet provided details of potential penalties.
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