On October 16, 2024, the Royal Thai Police announced the results of an operation codenamed "Operation Heartbreaker" in conjunction with the Crime Suppression Division.
This operation successfully exposed a network of illegal accounts involved in bribery and cut off money laundering channels for grey market businesses, effectively deterring domestic criminal activities in Thailand.
According to Major General Kidira Panpet and other leaders of the Royal Thai Police, the operation issued 72 arrest warrants and successfully apprehended 64 suspects, with 8 still at large. These results were achieved through long-term in-depth investigations coordinated by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society.
The operation began in early 2024 when officers from the Crime Suppression Division discovered an illegal online gambling site named crown168 during their investigations.
Following this lead, the police arrested 14 suspects and seized numerous bank "agent" accounts (also known as "mule" accounts), cash cards, mobile phones, SIM cards, and other key evidence.
Upon examining these bank accounts, the police discovered that they were used to receive money from victims deceived by telecommunication fraud gangs. The funds matched multiple cases reported by the Anti-Online Fraud Operation Center (AOC), involving various scams such as fraudulent loans and transfer schemes promising extra income.
As the investigation deepened, the police uncovered that these accounts were managed by a well-organized gang. This gang operated through specific LINE groups, assigning tasks and giving orders, and paid each member 2000 Thai Baht monthly to open bank accounts. When issues arose with the accounts, the gang would reduce compensation until the accounts were unusable. Members were compensated through "commissions" deducted from the account holders.
The operation also arrested 14 members of a "mule account procurement gang" and seized key items used for communication and command, such as tablets, SIM cards, and mobile phones.
By examining the information on the phones, the police identified 19 LINE groups related to "recruiting people to open accounts, paying compensation, and modifying facial scans," as well as 17 national "mule account" delivery locations.
The results of the operations since early 2024 have continuously expanded the scope of investigation and arrest of suspects in this gang. The police found that the gang not only used personal bank accounts for money laundering but also arranged for corporate entities to launder money through their bank accounts.
During the operations from October 7 to 11, 2024, the police arrested 36 criminals and seized key evidence worth over 31 million Thai Baht and US dollars, including bank books. Additionally, funds totaling 25 million Thai Baht in corporate entity bank accounts linked to several companies were discovered, which were transferred from telecommunication fraud gangs to money laundering gangs.
The investigation revealed that some corporate groups facilitated criminal activities by hiring individuals as directors to open companies and apply for bank accounts, using these accounts to gain benefits under corporate identities.
The officers of the First Crime Suppression Division will continue to investigate and gather evidence to prosecute the remaining criminals, aiming to cut off and resolve the spreading issue of "mule bank accounts" that cause widespread suffering to the public.
The police stated that they will continue to intensify their efforts against criminal activities, maintaining a high-pressure stance to ensure long-term peace and order in Thai society.
