Thai authorities have detained more than 14,000 people in a crackdown on illegal gambling and other activities.
The seven-month operation targeted fraudulent investment schemes, call centre scams and illegal gambling websites.
In addition, police froze 4.5 billion baht ($122.2 million) in assets related to illegal activities. How to return these funds to victims is still under discussion with the Anti-Money Laundering Office.
Deputy police spokesperson Siriwat Depor credited Acting Police Chief Kittirat Panpet and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin with focusing on combating cybercrime. According to him, the arrests took place between October 2023 and April 2024.
The crackdown went beyond arrests. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission and police worked together to dismantle illegal border communications equipment that criminals were using.
Authorities are also keeping a close eye on cash transactions and closing suspicious accounts to disrupt the financial networks that support these crimes.
