Thai immigration police searched a two-story villa on Ekachai road, Bang Bon district, Bangkok, on the evening of 16/9. This action followed reports from residents about "a large number of foreigners frequently entering and exiting the house with suspicious signs."

During the search, police discovered the villa served as a front for a telephone scam operation.

Major General Phanthana Nuchanart, deputy commander of the Thai Immigration Bureau, stated that 15 suspects were arrested at the villa. These included one Thai national and 14 foreign nationals from Japan, Trung Quoc, Taiwan, and Myanmar.

Thai police search a luxury villa in Bangkok on the evening of 16/9. Photo: Bangkok Post

A Thai national rented the villa on behalf of a Trung Quoc boss for 900,000 baht (approximately 28,000 USD) per month. The group may have used the house as a scam center for over one year.

The suspects present at the scene were primarily "employees" making the fraudulent calls. The Trung Quoc boss, who ran the center, was not present during the raid.

Police believe the mastermind remains in Thailand and have initiated surveillance of potential escape routes.

Fake badges and cards used by suspects to impersonate Japanese police. Photo: Bangkok Post

Japanese police uniforms used by suspects for scams. Photo: Bangkok Post

Members of the scam gang arrested on the evening of 16/9. Photo: Bangkok Post

The first floor of the villa featured karaoke and gambling rooms. Police also seized computers, phones, SIM cards used by the suspects for money transfers, along with a quantity of crystal meth and drug paraphernalia.

The second floor of the villa was divided into multiple call rooms. Police found pre-written scam scripts in Japanese, taped to the walls for employees to use when speaking with victims.

Some rooms were arranged to resemble Japanese police stations. Police confiscated uniforms, logos, cards, and fake badges impersonating Japanese police. Another room appeared to be used for connecting victims to the next scammer impersonator.

Thai police search a villa in Bangkok on the night of 16/9. Video: X/ThaiPBS

The suspects often made random calls to victims, informing them that an illegal package had been found under their name.

If victims believed the story, the caller would transfer the call to another gang member impersonating a police officer. These scammers would then accuse the victims of suspicious transactions or involvement in illegal activities, demanding money for "investigation" purposes.

Thai police will continue to investigate the case. Foreign suspects are expected to be deported after Thai authorities complete legal processing.

Thanh Danh (According to Bangkok Post, Khaosod, CNA)