Cyber Police Arrest 3 Mule Account Agents in Mae Sot Raid
Cyber police raided a building in Mae Sot, Tak province, arresting three local men accused of procuring 'mule' bank accounts for scam and call-center gangs operating along the Thai-Myanmar border. Officers seized 40 smartphones loaded with banking apps, four contact phones, seven notebooks, and 20 methamphetamine pills. The suspects confessed to recruiting account holders for 8,000-10,000 baht each and reselling the accounts to criminal networks for a 2,000-3,000 baht profit, operating for over a year.
Cyber police, led by Pol. Lt. Gen. Thinakorn Rangmat, Commander of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), and Pol. Maj. Gen. Arut Saengchan, Deputy Commander, ordered Pol. Maj. Gen. Kritachan Bumrungrattanayot, Commander of Sub-Division 4, and Pol. Lt. Col. Anucha Srisamong, Chief of Investigation Division 2 of Sub-Division 4, along with officers from that division, to execute a search warrant (No. 224/2569) issued by the Mae Sot Provincial Court. They raided a building on Ban Thung Road in Mae Sot district, Tak province, arresting three suspects in a network procuring mule accounts: Mr. Thi, 42, Mr. Thana, 31, and Mr. Sor, 35, all from Tak province. Police seized 40 mobile phones, all with banking apps installed and ready for use; four phones used for contacting customers; seven notebooks; and 20 methamphetamine pills.
The investigation by Division 2 of Sub-Division 4 received information that the building was a hub for illegally trading bank accounts and served as a supply chain providing mule accounts to scammer groups and call-center gangs still hiding along the Thai-Myanmar border ridge. Police gathered evidence and obtained court warrants to search the premises and apprehend the suspects with all evidence.
During questioning, the suspects admitted to collaborating to recruit people to open bank accounts and install various banking apps on phones, recording details such as names, app passwords, emails, and phone numbers. Recruits were paid 8,000-10,000 baht per account, which were then resold to scammer groups and online gambling operations for a profit of 2,000-3,000 baht per account. The operation had been running for over a year.
Police charged all three with jointly procuring, advertising, or disseminating information to buy, sell, rent, or lend deposit accounts, electronic cards, or electronic accounts for use in technology-related crimes or other offenses. An additional charge of illegal possession of a Category 1 narcotic (methamphetamine) was filed against Mr. Thiwat.
