BANGKOK — Just a day after a press conference announcing cooperation between Thai and Australian police in dismantling a major fraud operation, Thai authorities have put 13 foreign suspects on trial, with 10 denied bail and 3 granted bail.
On June 18, Pol. Col. Netiwit Thanasitnitikul, superintendent of Sub-Division 2 of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), along with investigators, took the suspects to the Criminal Court to arrest them. The group, which is allegedly part of a call centre ring targeting Australians, — includes nationals from Australia, the UK, Canada and South Africa.
The suspects are: Mr. Mark (54), Mr. Mark Andrew (56), Mr. Nicholas (43), Mr. Brett (51), Mr. Ellis (59), Mr. Mark M. (61), Mr. Jeremy (44), Mr. Christopher (48), Mr. Dean (42), Mr. Lewis Samuel (30), Mr. Lewis Robbie (40), Mr. Luke (45), and Mr. Szeto (58).
They are accused of several criminal offences, including: Membership of a clandestine criminal organisation with unlawful intent (comparable to running a mafia-like group), working illegally as a foreigner without the appropriate permit and engaging in unauthorised employment with a temporary residence permit.
Later, after consideration, the court granted temporary bail to three suspects: Mr. Lewis Samuel (30), Mr. Szeto (58), and Mr. Mark M. (60), all British nationals residing in Bangkok.
Pol. Col. Arun Wachirasrisukanya, deputy commander of the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division and head of the operation, said some suspects had confessed to targeting about 14,000 Australians, according to documents seized.
Although they had only just started the operation and had defrauded only 14 people, resulting in losses of about 2 million Australian dollars (about $1.3 million USD), the ring’s leaders had set a target of scamming up to AU$80 million (about $52 million USD) by December 2025.
The investigation began in May 2024 after Thai police received information from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) about key suspects believed to have fled to Thailand following a raid in Indonesia. Surveillance confirmed that the two ringleaders, Mr Mark (Australian) and Mr Mark Andrew (British), were hiding in Pattaya in Chonburi province and later moved to Bangkok where they reconstituted the call centre gang.
They operated from a house in Bang Phli Yai, Samut Prakan, which was heavily guarded and covered with tarpaulins to prevent visibility from outside. After gathering solid evidence, Thai police obtained a search warrant from the Criminal Court and conducted a raid in cooperation with the CIB’s Sub-Division 2, successfully arresting all suspects involved.
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Related article:
Thai-Australian Sting Breaks Up Fraud Ring, 13 Foreigners Arrested
