A team of police talk to a Thai suspect accused of opening mule bank accounts for Chinese and Malaysian scammers. (Photo: Wassayos Ngamkham)

Thai police have busted a mule account gang working for a Chinese-led scam network and are seeking an Interpol Red Notice to arrest a Malaysian suspect who worked as a transnational cash courier.

The arrested Thai nationals acted as mule bank account holders and received benefits from fraudulent schemes, Pol Lt Gen Natthasak Chaowanasai, head of the Central Investigation Bureau, said at a briefing on Wednesday.

One of the suspects, identified as Nattinee Burasun, 30, was in charge of collecting money and coordinating with the Chinese mastermind, police said.

Investigators also identified a Malaysian suspect, Lee Yong Hann Jovan, who served as the cash courier transporting money out of Thailand, Pol Lt Gen Natthasak said.

The investigation began in November last year, after a 65-year-old retired civil servant in Pathum Thani was deceived by a call-centre gang posing as bank staff and officers from the Maha Sarakham Police.

The gang falsely accused her of involvement in a drug case and directed her to prove her innocence by transferring money for inspection, Pol Lt Gen Natthasak said.

The gang also named their Line account “Maha Sarakham Police” to convince the victim.

On Nov 13, the victim transferred 30,000 baht to a mule account. Later, after being unable to make an online transaction, she was instructed to withdraw 800,000 baht in cash, put it into a bag and place it in front of an abandoned house.

The woman was told not to hang up on the call with the gang and not to inform any bank staff, Pol Lt Col Natthasak said.

The Malaysian suspect Lee was the one who collected the bag. Investigators found that he had entered Thailand with two other Malaysians at Suvarnabhumi airport and then flew back to Malaysia with the victim’s cash, via the same airline, Pol Lt Col Natthasak said.

Authorities are coordinating with Interpol to issue a Red Notice to arrest Mr Lee.

The gang continued to threaten the victim, forcing her to make video calls every four hours and to make more transfers on Nov 14 and 15, bringing her total losses to over 1.4 million baht.

Pol Lt Col Natthasak said that each member of the mule network had clear duties, and after each successful scam, a celebration party was held at a poolside villa.

The group was also found to be linked with four other scam cases and to have worked for other scam gangs, with total losses exceeding 30 million baht, Pol Lt Gen Natthasak added.

The other suspects were identified as Thanakrit Sirirattanawong, 23; Somdetch Thamwarakom, 74; Phasit Charoentham, 36; Kanathip Boriboondamrong, 34; Pannachika Boonsiri, 36; Anuwat Sae-ung, 35; Phanthiwa Sudthanom, 37; and Kamonwan Sasom, 28.

They were taken into custody at the Muang Pathum Thani police station for legal proceedings, Pol Lt Col Natthasak said.