BANGKOK — Thai police have arrested the leader of a Japanese fraud gang and, in cooperation with the Japanese embassy, rescued two Japanese victims of a call center scam.
At a press conference on March 20 led by the Inspector General of the National Police, Pol. Gen. Thachchai Pitaneelabutr, it was revealed that the Japanese Embassy in Thailand had passed information to the Immigration Department requesting the arrest of a 47-year-old Japanese suspect, referred to only as “Yamaguchi”, who was wanted in Japan for assault, fraud, theft and violations of Japan’s Organized Crime Act, among other charges.
The embassy also requested the revocation of his residence permit in Thailand and his deportation to Japan.
Investigations revealed that Yamaguchi was formerly a member of a yakuza gang in Japan before becoming the leader of a gang of scammers in Cambodia and Vietnam targeting Japanese victims. He frequently traveled in and out of Thailand and rented a luxury apartment in Bangkok’s Sathorn district, for which he paid over 180,000 baht ($5,340) per month.
Art Dealer Suspected of Money Laundering
He also founded a company called “Last Samurai Japan” in 2024, dealing in high-end art. The use of English in the transactions allowed the company to operate globally, raising suspicions that it was being used for money laundering.
After gathering enough evidence, police arrested Yamaguchi at his home in Sathorn and informed him that his residence permit had been revoked on March 13, 2025. He was then taken to the Immigration Detention Center (Suan Phlu) to initiate legal proceedings and coordinate extradition with the Japanese authorities.
Meanwhile, police obtained a search warrant for Yamaguchi’s rented house in Sathorn, where they discovered four other Japanese nationals. Background checks revealed that they had criminal records in Japan and were likely connected to the Last Samurai Japan company. Authorities also found over 30 million baht ($890,000) worth of assets in digital wallets, which are now under further investigation.
Another Fugitive Captured by Local Militia
In another case, Thai authorities assisted Japanese officials in tracking down and arresting Miyashita, 36, who was wanted in Japan for theft. The Thai government’s crackdown on call center scams in neighboring countries resulted in Miyashita being captured by a local militia group and subsequently handed over to Thai authorities.
Miyashita confessed that he had entered Cambodia in January 2025 to work as a financial consultant for a call center scam. He now faces charges under Thailand’s Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979) before being extradited to Japan.
Two Japanese Scam Victims Rescued
Thai police also assisted in the rescue of two Japanese fraud victims: Yaji, 22, and Ishikawa, 47. Their case was related to a 16-year-old Japanese teenager who had been lured to Myanmar and whom Thai authorities helped rescue earlier this year.
Yaji and Ishikawa had entered Cambodia illegally and joined a group of about ten Japanese nationals involved in scam operations. Thai authorities have coordinated with their Japanese counterparts to ensure the safe return of the two victims to Japan, where further investigations will be conducted.
Pol. Gen. Thachchai stressed that the Royal Thai Police and Japanese authorities will continue their cooperation to combat transnational organized crime, especially fraud through call centers and human trafficking networks.
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