Crime

Police Take Down Online Child Trafficking Website, 4 Arrested

Published

1 year ago

September 17, 2023

Freelancer

Police stated on Saturday that four persons were arrested separately in Thailand for child trafficking, the four are accused of providing child sexual services online. Officers from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division (ATPD) apprehended two of the suspects, who were wanted by arrest warrants issued by the Criminal Court on September 6.

The two suspects face charges of aiding child trafficking by profiting from prostitution and recruiting or influencing children under the age of 15 into sexual abuse. Officers later apprehended the two main suspects.

On September 14, the Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two men. They are charged with human trafficking, soliciting minors for prostitution, profiteering from the flesh trade, depriving children of parental care, and other offences, according to police.

Police had previously rescued two 15-year-old girls who had been enticed into the sex flesh trade. Officers later apprehended a sex broker, only known as Ms. Thanyaporn, in a Rama II Road condominium.

child trafficking Thailand

Ms. Thanyaporn, according to Pol Maj Gen Sarut, duped the two girls into selling sex at this condominium.

The sex broker, according to the police investigation, had uploaded photographs of youngsters on a website advertising sex services, asking a monthly payment of 490 baht for advertisement fees. There were additional fees for increasing page views.

Police Maj Gen Sarut stated that Ms. Thanyaporn transmitted money to the website through Ms. Khachaporn’s bank account, which she had leased to open a mule account to collect money transfers from those looking to offer sex services.

Each month, 200,000-300,000 baht was transferred to her bank account, with Mr. Noppadol in charge of withdrawing the funds.

According to the Bangkok Post, Ms. Khachaporn was seized at her home in Dusit district, while Mr Noppadol was apprehended at his home in Bangkok. During questioning, she allegedly admitted to being paid 2,000 baht to open the mule bank account, and Mr. Noppadol admitted to being recruited to take mony from the mule account, earning 1,000-2,000 baht each time.

Police then apprehended Mr. Warit at a housing complex in Bangkok, according to Police Maj Gen Sarut. Mr. Warit admitted to serving as an administrator and managing the finances of the website selling child sex services. He received a monthly compensation of 60,000 baht as well as a percentage of the advertisement fees from website owner Mr. Pheeraphon.

Mr. Pheeraphon was later apprehended at a Samut Prakan luxury housing subdivision. On his seized laptops, police discovered numerous images of young women and girls who had been victims of human trafficking.

Mr. Pheeraphon admitted to owning the website and told police that he and Mr. Warit were close friends during questioning. Before getting into the internet sex business, they worked as online marketing workers and event planners.

Mr. Pheeraphon stated that he recruited a foreign programmer to develop the website and rented a server outside of Thailand to avoid Thai authorities’ scrutiny. He claimed to make between 200,000 and 300,000 baht per month from advertisement payments.

All suspects are currently in police custody pending legal proceedings.

Child Trafficking in Thaialnd

Child Trafficking in Thailand

Child sex trafficking is a serious and illegal issue that occurs in many parts of the world, including Thailand. It is a grave violation of human rights and a criminal offense that involves the exploitation of children for sexual purposes. I will provide you with some general information on this topic, but please note that the situation can change over time, and it’s important to refer to the most current and reputable sources for the latest information.

Extent of the Problem: Thailand has been known as a destination for child sex tourism due to its popularity as a tourist destination and the presence of a significant sex industry. Child sex trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of children for sexual exploitation. Vulnerable children, often from impoverished backgrounds, may be lured or coerced into the industry.
Government Efforts: The Thai government has taken steps to combat child sex trafficking, including passing laws and implementing initiatives to strengthen law enforcement and protect victims. For example, Thailand has laws criminalizing child exploitation and human trafficking. They also collaborate with international organizations and NGOs to address the issue.
NGO Involvement: Numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are actively involved in combating child sex trafficking in Thailand. These organizations focus on rescue operations, victim support, and advocacy to raise awareness and push for legal reforms.
Tourism and Child Exploitation: Thailand’s booming tourism industry has, unfortunately, contributed to the problem. Tourists seeking illegal sexual services involving minors are part of the demand that fuels child sex trafficking. Many campaigns and initiatives aim to educate tourists about the legal and ethical consequences of engaging in such activities.
Challenges: Despite efforts to combat child sex trafficking, challenges persist. These include corruption within law enforcement agencies, inadequate resources for victim support and rehabilitation, and the transient nature of the sex industry, making it difficult to track and prosecute offenders.
Global Efforts: Child sex trafficking is not limited to Thailand and is a global issue. International organizations, such as UNICEF and INTERPOL, work alongside governments and NGOs worldwide to combat child trafficking and exploitation.

It’s important to emphasize that child sex trafficking is a criminal act and a gross violation of human rights. Efforts to combat this issue require collaboration between governments, NGOs, law enforcement agencies, and the global community. Laws, awareness campaigns, and support for victims are crucial components of this fight to protect vulnerable children and prosecute those who exploit them.

Crime

Police Officer Being Ordained at Temple Arrested for Running Scam Call Center

Published

7 months ago

July 20, 2024

Thomas3940

Police Officer Being Ordained at Temple Arrested

Police in Northern Thailand have arrested a fellow officer as he was being ordained at a temple in Ngao district of neighbouring Lampang province.

Contents

Pol Lt Col Bandit Khonkan chief inspector from the Hang Dong police station was disrobed and taken to the Chang Puak station in Chiang Mai. He was arrested on charges of running a call centre scam gang in Chiang Mai Province.

According to Thai Media Chiang Mai Provincial Police Region 5 obtained an arrest warrant for Pol Lt Col Bandit on Friday from the Chiang Mai Provincial Court for procuring illegal telecom equipment, setting up a station and using public airwaves to run a telecommunications business without permission.

Pol Lt Col Bandit reportedly told investigators that he was not the ringleader and was only a member of the gang with Chinese partners.

His arrest followed the apprehension of his 26-year-old daughter, Miss Wanuchapond, 26, and three others during raids at three housing projects in Chiang Mai on Friday, Pol Maj Gen Weerachon Boontawee, deputy chief of Provincial Police Region 5 told Thai media.

During the raids police police discovered around 12 GSM gateways, or SIM boxes, which are devices used for converting cellular networks into mobile phone numbers used domestically.

The chief inspectors daughter Miss Wanuchapond told the arresting officers that she was paid 8,000 baht a month at each of the three locations for renting thr rooms and monitoring devices.

She claimed she had no idea what the devices were and accepted the job because the pay was attractive.

Police investigators working with telecom regulators used a special tracking device to monitor the gang’s communications and learned that its base was in Myanmar opposite Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai.

The call center gang used the GSM gateways to make calls over the internet to scam people in Thailand out of million of baht.

The GSM gateways transmitting signals via SIM boxes to convert them into domestic phone numbers, duping victims into thinking they were being called from Thai government agencies.

Pol Maj Gen Weerachon said that each SIM box held 32 SIM cards, with a capacity of up to 300,000 calls a month. The seized devices had made fraudulent calls over 3.6 million times.

He said the their investigation is ongoing and they are working to track down the remaining conspirators, including Chinese and other Thai suspects.

Authorities are still deciding whether Pol Lt Col Bandit will be dismissed from the force, he said, adding that so far, no other officers are known to have been involved.

Police in Chiang Rai Launch Crackdown on Cyber Criminals in Golden Triangle

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin has authorized the establishment of an emergency cyber center operated by the Royal Thai Police to combat transnational crimes committed by call center gangs along the Thai border in Chiang Rai province.

On July 19, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin directed the Center to combat information technology crimes. The Royal Thai Police (Royal Thai Police) will crack down on call center gangs in Myanmar, Laos, and along the border.

His directive comes as call center gangs ratchet up their scams to defraud people of their money, causing concern among Thais and jeopardizing the country’s economic and social stability.

Machete Wielding Man Shot an Killed by Police in Chiang Rai

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/chiangrai-news/machete-wielding-man-shot-an-killed-by-police-in-chiang-rai/

Crime

Thai Immigration Police Arrest Colombian Tourists Over Home Invasions

Published

7 months ago

July 20, 2024

Thomas3940

Thai Immigration Police Arrest Colombian Tourist

Immigration police officers have arrested four Colombian nationals in connection with a series of home burglaries at luxury housing complexes in the Bangkok metropolitan area and Chiang Buri Province.

Contents

Police called to home invasion Other Bangkok News:Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

Pol Maj Gen Panthana Nuchanart, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, told a press briefing that three of the suspects were apprehended in Nonthaburi Province and the fourth in South Pattaya, Chon Buri Province.

According to the Bangkok Post, the Colombians were charged with stealing conspiracy and seized around 3 million baht (US$82,500.00).

According to Pol Maj Gen Panthana, the criminals rode motorcycles through housing estates, scoping out the properties and waiting for the owners to depart before committing their crimes.

He stated that all four of the accused denied any involvement in the home break-ins, but the arresting squad discovered evidence that implicated them.

Police called to home invasion

Meanwhile, police were dispatched to a luxury housing development in Tambon Nong Prue, Chonburi Province, after a Chinese man was attacked during a house invasion.

When they arrived, they discovered the house owner, Mr. Qian Peng Yi, visibly scared and with marks from being tied up with a cable. He informed police that three Chinese males broke into his home at 9 p.m., one of whom brandished a gun at him and directed him to his bedroom.

They bound his hands and feet, gagged him with fabric, taped his head, and forced him into the bed. The intruders then attempted to compel him into transferring 10 million baht in cryptocurrencies to them, endangering the life of his 33-year-old cousin who was in a second-floor bedroom.

While they scoured the house in search of riches, Mr. Peng Yi managed to flee and hide; he subsequently observed them leave with his cousin. Officials investigated the property and analyzed security camera footage from the incident and surrounding areas.

Around 9 p.m., a 30-year-old van driver came at the Bang Lamung police station after being contacted by an agency to carry Chinese customers from Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The driver informed authorities that he was supposed to pick them up at a motel about a kilometer from the Chinese businessman’s home. He then drove them to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, arriving at 1 a.m. and receiving 1,800 baht.

The driver took a snapshot of the group smoking at the airport gate and identified one of them as the victim’s cousin. Police suspected coordination between her and the three suspects in her cousin’s heist, who all departed Thailand on the same aircraft.

Other Bangkok News:

Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

Crime

Son of Thailand’s Leading Legal Scholar on Corruption Arrested for Running Online Gambling Network

Published

7 months ago

July 17, 2024

Thomas3940

The son of a former senator and leading economist and expert on corruption and gambling in Thailand has been arrested for on charges of running an online gambling network and its payment system.

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Police from Thailand’s Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) have confiscated assets worth more than (US$ 11.1 million) 400 million baht.

Narote Piriyarangsan, 33, was arrested following crackdowns in three sites around the city, according to Pol Maj Gen Athip Pongsiwapai, commander of the police Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD).

Mr Narote’s father, Sangsit Piriyarangsan, is an economist who has written articles and books about corruption and gambling. He was one of the appointed senators that were investigating the government’s intention to legalize casino gaming before their terms expired.

Police also detained 39-year-old Narayut Narakaew, the owner of the gambling website 69pgslot.com. The Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the couple for operating an internet gambling service and money laundering.

According to the Bangkok Post, police seized two desktop computers, one laptop computer, 14 mobile phones, 21 bank passbooks, 53 ATM cards, and four high-end cars — a Ferrari 926 GTS, an Aston Martin, a Lexus, and a Subaru — totaling more than 400 million baht.

Police launched the inquiry after discovering the online gambling site, which accepted funds via an automatic deposit-withdrawal system through bank accounts and deposits in the AskMePay system. Players scanned the VPay QR code as well as the QR codes for Heng Online 888 or Heng Pay Company.

Police also discovered that payments received via QR code scans were transferred to the account of Heng Pay Co and then to the gambling website’s mule accounts using AskMePay, which did not use banks’ face recognition scanning. An inquiry indicated a monthly turnover of approximately 5 billion baht.

According to investigators, the website has been up and running for around four years, with the payment mechanism in use for roughly eight months.

According to Pol Maj Gen Athip, Mr Narote owns the gaming website’s payment systems and is the director of Heng Pay Co. After gathering evidence, authorities requested arrest warrants for 14 people.

Thailand does not allow almost any kind of gaming. Even though the law doesn’t say anything specific about online gaming, it is still considered gambling. The country has pretty strict rules about gambling. Thai punters can bet on the national lottery and horse races, but they can’t bet on any other types of games.

But it’s not a secret that there is a huge illegal gaming business in Thailand, even though it’s illegal.

The illegal casinos, online betting shops, underground lotteries, and pop-up bookies that take bets on everything from cockfights to Muay Thai make a shadow economy that is worth billions of dollars every year.