BANGKOK, Oct 31 — Thai police arrested the suspected mastermind of a job scam syndicate in Myanmar, while stepping up a manhunt to locate other suspects involved including a Malaysian.
Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau Pol Lt-Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej said the 33-year-old businessman from China was believed to be the mastermind of a syndicate that lured job seekers, especially Thais to work at the border town of Myawaddy, in Myanmar.
He was arrested in Bangkok on Sunday.
He said an initial investigation found the syndicate lured job seekers promising high-paying jobs in Mae Sot in Tak province but instead forced them to cross the border to Myawaddy in Myanmar to work as scammers.
“Thai police started the investigation last year. We issued an arrest warrant for 19 individuals including 11 Thais, Chinese (three), Myanmar (three), one Malaysian and one Filipino.
“To date, we arrested seven Thai and one Chinese national (mastermind),” he said.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division Pol. Col Man Menyam said police started the investigation after seven Thais who fell victim to a job scam were rescued in Mae Sot.
He said the victims including five women were lured to work in Myawaddy and they were punished and beaten when they failed to hit the target set by their supervisors — a Malaysian and Filipino.
“The victims safely returned home after family members paid a ransom of 50,000 baht each,” Man told Bernama.
He added that the victims later lodged a report at Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division.
— Bernama
