Published: 22 Jul. 2025, 20:15
Updated: 22 Jul. 2025, 20:27
The scene at the arrest of members of a crime ring in in Pattaya, Thailand [KOREAN NATIONAL POLICE AGENCY]
Police caught 19 Korean nationals in Pattaya, Thailand, operating a romance scam ring out of a private pool villa, authorities said Tuesday.
Authorities apprehended the suspects on June 21 during a raid on a villa compound in Pattaya.
The Korean National Police Agency said Tuesday that it dispatched a joint investigative team to Thailand on July 16 after identifying a group of Korean suspects involved in a romance scam, in coordination with Thai police.
The team is now conducting additional investigations.
Investigators said the suspects had installed dozens of electronic devices, including computers, to organize and carry out romance scams and voice phishing operations.
They developed criminal scripts and assigned roles to each member, while also preparing Korean-language scam materials, including a whiteboard with investment prompts written in Korean.
Police said the suspects attempted to flee by jumping from the second floor of the villa when officers stormed the site, but all were caught at the scene.
Authorities plan to repatriate the suspects to Korea in coordination with Thai officials.
The joint team is also analyzing confiscated electronic devices to uncover additional offenses and accomplices.
While in Thailand, Korean police also met with the head of the Thai government’s fraud investigation team to discuss a joint strategy to combat cross-border criminal organizations operating across Southeast Asia.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]
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