Call scam gangs are abandoning Thailand’s Cambodian border for Myanmar, police say, after intercepting 1,171 phones, more than 3,000 SIM cards and laptops bound for Mae Sot. Detectives are hunting the network behind the attempted relocation.
Call scam gangs are on the move. Police say criminal networks are rapidly shifting their operations from Thailand’s border with Cambodia to the Myanmar frontier after intercepting a vehicle carrying 1,171 mobile phones, more than 3,000 SIM cards and other communications equipment destined for Mae Sot. The seizure has widened an Ayutthaya police investigation, with forensic specialists now examining the devices to identify the organisers behind the attempted relocation and the wider cross-border network involved in duping the public.
Call scam gangs are rapidly shifting their operations from Thailand’s Cambodian border to the Myanmar frontier, police said after intercepting a vehicle packed with communications equipment.
Officers seized 1,171 mobile phones, more than 3,000 SIM cards, four laptops and numerous network devices before the shipment reached Mae Sot district in Tak province. Investigators believe the cargo was intended to establish a new scam base near the Myanmar border.
The seizure marked a major breakthrough in an expanding investigation by Ayutthaya Provincial Police. Officers believe organised scam gangs are abandoning Sa Kaeo province and relocating towards Mae Sot. The operation prevented the equipment from reaching its destination. Police said its deployment could have enabled widespread call scam operations targeting the public.
Investigation traces scam gang moving operations from Sa Kaeo towards Mae Sot before police interception
The investigation began after a breakthrough on Wednesday, July 8. On that day, detectives from Ayutthaya Provincial Police arrested five foreign scammers in Bang Pahan district.
Subsequently, investigators analysed evidence recovered during those arrests. They uncovered signs of a rapid relocation involving a large quantity of communications equipment. Police concluded the network was moving north through Ayutthaya towards the Myanmar border.
In response, officers intensified surveillance along major transport routes crossing the province. Their investigation identified a suspicious vehicle travelling through Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. Police believed it was carrying equipment linked to the expanding scam network. An interception operation was immediately organised.
On July 12, officers stopped the vehicle beneath the Ayutthaya interchange on Asian Highway kilometre 18. The location was in Khlong Suan Phlu subdistrict of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district. Police arrested the driver, 52-year-old Mr Rungroj, without incident. They then searched the vehicle at the roadside.
Police seize huge shipment of phones and SIM cards before it reaches a new Myanmar border base
Inside, officers discovered several suitcases packed with electronic equipment. The haul included 1,171 mobile phones and more than 3,000 SIM cards. Police also recovered four laptops and numerous network connectivity devices. As a result, every item was seized as evidence before the shipment could continue towards Tak province.
The operation was formally announced during a press conference on July 13 at Ayutthaya Provincial Police Headquarters. Ayutthaya Provincial Police Commander Pol. Maj. Gen. Surawut Saengrungruang led the briefing. Ayutthaya Deputy Governor Mr Praphan Tribubpha also attended alongside representatives from related agencies.
During the briefing, Pol. Maj. Gen. Surawut revealed that the seizure grew directly from the July 8 arrests. He said investigators quickly uncovered evidence of a large-scale equipment transfer. According to the investigation, the gang was “rapidly transporting equipment and changing their base of operations from Sa Kaeo province, through Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province, and heading towards Mae Sot district in Tak province.”
Notably, Mae Sot borders Myanmar and has become a key destination in the investigation. Police believe the shipment represented a significant stage in the network’s relocation. Officers intercepted it before the communications equipment reached its intended base. The investigation now focuses on identifying everyone involved in organising the transfer.
Forensic analysis of seized devices aims to expose organisers, financiers and wider criminal network
Officials warned the consequences could have been severe. Thousands of SIM cards were ready for activation. More than 1,100 mobile phones were prepared for deployment. The laptops and signal equipment would have supported the operation. Police said that, if smuggled across the border, the equipment “would cause widespread damage to the public and the economy.”
Meanwhile, investigators have begun a forensic examination of every seized device. Information technology specialists are assisting the inquiry. They will extract data from all 1,171 mobile phones. They will also examine more than 3,000 SIM cards, the laptops and the network equipment. Police hope the digital evidence will identify organisers, financiers and other members of the network.
In parallel, investigators are tracing communications linked to the seized devices. They are also examining transport routes used by the network. Detectives are working to identify those who supplied the equipment. They are further attempting to establish who was waiting to receive it in Mae Sot.
Driver charged as detectives widen investigation into the masterminds behind the expanding scam network
Mr Rungroj has been charged under the Technology Crime Prevention and Suppression Act. Police allege he procured, bought, sold or distributed SIM cards unlawfully. That offence carries penalties of between two and five years’ imprisonment. It also carries fines of between ฿200,000 and ฿500,000, or both.
Separately, investigators charged him with allowing another person to use a SIM card. That offence carries a maximum prison sentence of three years. It also carries a fine of up to ฿300,000, or both. The suspect and all seized equipment remain in police custody.
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On another front, detectives are expanding the investigation beyond the driver. Information recovered from the devices will be examined alongside communications records. Police are working to identify the masterminds behind the operation. They are also pursuing every member of the wider criminal network involved in relocating the scam operation from Thailand’s Cambodian border to the frontier with Myanmar.
One observation: those two standalone lines about Hun Sen and the three Chinese men are clearly unrelated to this article. I have intentionally left them exactly where they are and unchanged because you instructed me not to alter your wording or paragraph structure.
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Further reading:
Party leader makes explosive claims linking Hun Sen to Cambodian slave camp run as a scamming centre
Police top brass push back on claims by Cambodia’s Hun Sen that scammers enter through Thailand
Money Laundering Office seizes assets with money trail linked to South African financier Ben Smith
Kla Tham MP dismisses unproven scam centre claims about Deputy Prime Minister Thamanat Prompow
People’s Party warns Anutin of a No Confidence move over cabinet links to Cambodian scam networks
United States, South Korea and United Kingdom act against Cambodian scam industry with Thai tie-ins
