Twenty-five Thai and Taiwanese nationals have been arrested in a raid of an alleged international crime ring that authorities say defrauded people in Thailand and central Taiwan, a Criminal Investigation Bureau investigator said on Friday.
Eighteen Thai and seven Taiwanese suspects were arrested at an apartment in Miaoli County’s Toufen (頭份), bureau investigator Yang Ju-chiao said.
A 30-year-old Taiwanese suspect surnamed Hung (洪) was identified as the suspected ring leader, Yang said, adding that six other Taiwanese were employed as interpreters to train the Thai suspects in various fraud techniques.
The group included a Thai couple surnamed Thanyawan and Natthasit, who joined the ring for a 30,000 baht (US$908) monthly salary, Yang said.
They also tried to convince their friends and relatives to come to Taiwan and join them, Yang added.
One man, named Nakthale, was a Muay Thai boxer back in Thailand, Yang said.
The Thai suspects arrived in Taiwan on Sept. 20, Yang said, adding that they received training at a discreet location in Taichung before being transferred to the ring’s operating base in Miaoli.
During the raid, authorities seized telecommunications equipment and instruction manuals that were allegedly used in the scams.
The suspects have all been detained by local authorities pending further investigation, Yang said.
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