19 Korean Nationals Arrested in Thailand for Romance Scam Operation

Nineteen members of a Korean organization involved in a romance scam were apprehended by police in Pattaya, Thailand. On July 22, the National Police Agency announced that a joint operation with Thai authorities led to the arrests, and a collaborative investigation team was dispatched to the area on July 16 for further inquiries. The team analyzed electronic devices used in the crimes and directly interrogated the Korean suspects. The arrested individuals are set to be swiftly repatriated to South Korea in coordination with Thai authorities. The suspects were caught on June 21 during a joint operation between Korean and Thai police at a villa complex in Pattaya, where they had set up numerous electronic devices, including computers, to facilitate their scams. They created various crime scenarios involving romance scams and voice phishing, assigning roles among themselves. When police raided the location, some suspects attempted to escape by jumping from the second floor but were all captured. Evidence of organized crime, including a whiteboard with investment solicitation phrases written in Korean, was found at the villa. The police also met with the head of Thailand's dedicated fraud crime team to discuss strategies for combating international scam organizations operating in Southeast Asia. Investigations into additional crimes and accomplices are expected to intensify based on the gathered evidence.