Thai authorities have arrested more than 300 suspects nationwide as part of an intensified crackdown on mule accounts and technology-related scams. The large-scale operation, titled “Saifa Fad: Striking Down Mule Accounts Across Thailand,” is running from November 18 to 26 and aims to dismantle organised fraud networks that have caused widespread financial harm.
According to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, assistant national police chief and deputy director of the Cyber Crime Suppression Centre (CCSC), the surge in arrests reflects the escalating seriousness of online crime. Since 2022, the CCSC has received more than 1.09 million online fraud complaints, with victims collectively losing over 100 billion baht. Mule accounts, which are bank or digital-wallet accounts opened or sold to criminals to launder money, remain a central tool in almost every type of scam, he said.
So far, the ongoing operation has resulted in 339 suspects being taken into custody under arrest warrants. Of these, 209 individuals have confessed to opening mule accounts for criminal groups. Police say these accounts serve as the financial backbone of scam syndicates, enabling them to move stolen funds quickly and evade detection.
The crackdown also exposed several notable cases across multiple provinces. Fifteen foreign nationals were arrested in Bangkok’s Bueng Kum district for running a fake cryptocurrency investment platform that targeted Turkish victims. In Rayong, a Chinese national was detained for managing cash withdrawals for a large call-centre gang.
Investigators also raided Sim Box setups in Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, and Mukdahan, seizing twelve devices and arresting two suspects. Sim Boxes, which can route large volumes of overseas calls through local networks, are frequently used by scam groups to impersonate legitimate organisations.
Another major discovery took place in Sakon Nakhon, where authorities uncovered a “mule farm” — a coordinated network that recruited people to scan their faces to create TrueMoney accounts for scammers. This system allowed criminal groups to build vast pools of accounts for receiving and transferring illicit funds.
In Phetchabun, a female call-centre worker was arrested for deceiving a victim into handing over 5.8 million baht in cash along with ten baht-weight of gold at her own doorstep. Police noted that the suspect used psychological manipulation to convince the victim she was cooperating with authorities, a common method in modern scam operations.
Additionally, a hybrid scam network blending romance fraud and investment fraud was dismantled, resulting in more than a dozen arrests. Investigators also found multiple mule-account recruitment hubs across the country, which police described as significant upstream sources supplying scam syndicates with essential financial channels.
Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said the CCSC has enhanced its investigative capabilities by using AI-driven analytics to detect suspicious financial activity. To streamline operations, authorities have also designated the Central Investigation Bureau and Provincial Police Region 6 in Phitsanulok as central processing points for suspect transfers, helping close procedural gaps that previously slowed investigations.
During raids, officers also seized parcels containing mobile phones and bank passbooks that were intended for foreign financiers. These items would have been used to activate accounts with facial-recognition systems before being integrated into larger scam operations.
Authorities say the operation marks a significant step forward in tackling digital crime and cutting off the financial infrastructure that allows fraud networks to thrive.
