Bangkok police arrest Surasak, 33, after a bogus Phuket police investigation stripped ฿35,984.65 from a victim. He claims a Poipet gang forced him into a scam camp, while nearly 20 police stations seek freezes on linked bank accounts across Thailand.
A terrifying telephone call about 12 Myanmar passports and a human trafficking ring stripped a victim of ฿35,984.65. The callers posed as Thailand Post staff and Phuket police before demanding bank transfers through Line for ‘verification’. Bangkok police have now arrested Mr. Surasak, 33, under two court warrants covering fraud, impersonation, computer crime and criminal accounts. However, the suspect claims a bogus job offer led to five months inside a Poipet scam camp. He says foreign gang members forced him to open an account and taught him to alter passports. Meanwhile, nearly 20 police stations are seeking freezes on linked accounts as investigators uncover his extensive criminal record.
A fake police investigation trapped a victim in a human trafficking nightmare before stripping ฿35,984.65 from their accounts. Bangkok police have now arrested a 33-year-old suspect accused of joining the elaborate impersonation racket. The operation used frightening telephone claims, forged authority, Line messages and demands for immediate bank transfers.
Police arrested Surasak, whose surname was withheld, at 8am on August 21. He was detained outside Victoria Shopping Mall in Bangkok’s Lak Song subdistrict, Bang Khae district. Notably, the arrest followed a Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Court warrant issued on June 17, 2026.
Police Colonel Pramote Chanbunkaew, superintendent of Phetkasem Police Station, led the operation. Alongside him were three officers from the station’s patrol unit. They were Sergeant Major Ekayuth Plongkhong, Sergeant Major Krisana Taengli and Sergeant Major Narin Promwan.
Court warrant exposes fake police racket using human trafficking claims and falsified computer data
The warrant, numbered 126/2569, contains several serious charges. Specifically, they include conspiracy to defraud the public and conspiracy involving falsified computer information. Further counts concern financial accounts opened or supplied for cybercrime and other offences.
The charges are: “conspiracy to defraud the public and conspiracy to import into a computer system distorted or falsified computer data, whether in whole or in part, or false computer data in a manner likely to cause damage to the public, and opening or allowing others to use their deposit accounts, electronic cards, or electronic money accounts without the intention of using them for themselves or their related businesses, knowing or should have known that they would be used to commit cybercrime or other criminal offenses.”
The fraud began on April 19, 2024, with an unexpected telephone call to the victim. Initially, the caller claimed to represent Thailand Post. The caller then described a supposedly intercepted package addressed to the victim.
According to the story, the package was travelling from Phuket to Phrae province. Inside were supposedly 12 Myanmar passports, ATM cards and bank passbooks. Crucially, nine financial documents were said to carry the victim’s name.
At that point, the caller introduced the threat of a human trafficking investigation. The victim was told that the accounts formed part of a trafficking ring. Consequently, the caller directed the victim to report the matter to Phuket City Police Station.
Bogus Phuket police Line account traps victim before scammers demand access to every bank account
However, the supposed route to the police remained under the fraudsters’ control. Next, the victim was instructed to add a Line account named “Phuket City Police Station”. That official-looking name gave the deception another layer of credibility.
Once connected, the scammers demanded a photograph of the victim’s national identity card. They claimed the image was required for police verification. In parallel, they sent photographs of arrested suspects and police officers supposedly involved in criminal activity.
The images sharpened the threat and suggested that police had uncovered a major network. More importantly, the scammers implied that the victim was directly implicated. The telephone call had now become a bogus criminal interrogation.
The questions then shifted rapidly towards money. First, the supposed officer asked how many bank accounts the victim held. He also demanded the balance available in each account.
Afterwards, the victim was ordered to transfer money from every account for verification. The fraudsters described the transfers as a temporary investigative procedure. Furthermore, they promised to return the entire amount after completing their checks.
Under mounting pressure, the victim transferred ฿35,984.65 as instructed. Subsequently, the supposed officer ordered the victim to wait approximately 15 minutes. The money would supposedly be returned immediately after the verification process.
Caller vanishes with ฿35,984.65 as arrested suspect claims he was forced into a Poipet scam camp
Instead, the caller abruptly ended the conversation. Thereafter, the victim could no longer reach anyone involved in the supposed investigation. The money also failed to return.
In response, the victim reported the fraud and requested legal action against those responsible. Police began examining the calls, LINE communications and financial transfers. Eventually, investigators secured the Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Court warrant for Surasak.
Following his Bangkok arrest, Surasak gave police a striking account of his own involvement. He said the trail began when he commented on a Facebook page while seeking employment. Soon afterwards, the page contacted him with a job offer in Sa Kaeo province.
Surasak told police that he accepted because he was unemployed. Later, someone collected him in Rayong province and transported him to Sa Kaeo. Upon arrival, a motorcyclist met him and took him to an office.
Nevertheless, Surasak claimed the supposed employment opportunity was itself a scam. He said approximately five foreign men from Poipet were waiting at the destination. According to his statement, he became frightened and did not dare resist them.
The men then forced him across the border into Poipet, Cambodia, Surasak claimed. At first, he said he was given no work. Instead, he waited there until someone summoned him for facial scanning.
Second court warrant links suspect to criminal bank accounts as nearly 20 police stations seek freezes
About one month later, his face was scanned to open a bank account. As part of this, the operation obtained an account connected to his identity. Members of the group later taught him how to alter passports.
Surasak said he remained in Poipet for approximately five months. Ultimately, he decided to escape and return to Thailand. His account now forms part of the wider police investigation.
Separately, officers discovered another active arrest warrant issued by the Roi Et Provincial Court. That warrant, numbered J.350/2569, was issued on June 24, 2026. It concerns financial facilities made available for criminal activity.
In particular, the warrant covers bank accounts, electronic cards and electronic money accounts. It applies when someone knows, or should know, about their intended criminal use. Additionally, the warrant includes complicity in fraud through impersonating another person.
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On another front, investigators reported that Surasak had an extensive criminal record. Nearly 20 police stations had also requested freezes on accounts connected with the inquiries. Those requests revealed a much broader trail of disputed financial activity.
Meanwhile, the two warrants connect Surasak with investigations in Prachuap Khiri Khan and Roi Et. His arrest occurred in Bangkok, while his statement placed key events in Rayong, Sa Kaeo and Poipet. The original deception also invoked Thailand Post, Phuket police and a supposed trafficking ring.
Police are proceeding under both outstanding court warrants. Surasak faces public fraud, impersonation, computer crime and financial account charges. Now, investigators are examining the accounts and digital evidence tied to the operation.
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Further reading:
3 crazed Chinese men who claim they fled a Burmese scammer camp wreak havoc in Western Tak province
Widening Sa Kaeo police extortion scandal has badly damaged Chinese tourist market for Thailand
