Chiang Mai —
At 4:30 PM on November 27th, 2024, Pol. Lt. Gen. Jiraphop Phuridech, the Central Investigation Bureau Commissioner, announced the success of “Operation CIB Crushes Gray Dragon,” targeting call center gangs in 11 locations across Chiang Mai.
The operation led to the arrest of Ms. Jiraphan Prakobkit, 30, and 14 others, including one Thai man, five Chinese nationals, and eight Myanmar nationals. Authorities confiscated over 590,000 items, including 642 GSM Gateway devices, 72 computers, 1,455 mobile phones, and 590,000 SIM cards, along with banking documents and electronic components.
Investigations revealed the gang used SIM boxes to create fake social media accounts for sale to online fraud networks. Each one-time password (OTP) was sold for approximately 5 baht.
Modified devices were reportedly employed to bypass security algorithms, making the fake accounts appear legitimate and fetching higher prices.
According to Pol. Lt. Gen. Jiraphop, Jirapan denied direct involvement, claiming her Chinese husband was the mastermind and that she only managed rental properties and utility payments.
Authorities are pursuing additional suspects and are intensifying efforts to track down the fugitive Chinese financier believed to head the operation.
“This operation significantly disrupts call center scams, which cost victims billions annually. Seizing SIM boxes helps cut off key tools used by these criminal networks,” Pol. Lt. Gen. Jiraphop said. Further investigations into other potential crimes involving the suspects are ongoing.
