BANGKOK — Thailand has taken decisive action against transnational cybercrime syndicates with two major developments: establishing a dedicated “War Room” with Interpol to coordinate regional enforcement efforts and dismantling the criminal empire of the “Godfather of Poipet” through coordinated raids that seized 27 million baht ($831K) in assets.
In a dramatic escalation of enforcement efforts, Thai police conducted coordinated raids on 19 locations across Bangkok, Samut Prakan, and Chonburi provinces on Tuesday, targeting the criminal empire of Kok An, a close confidant of former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and known as the “Godfather of Poipet.”
Operation Against Kok An
The operation, dubbed “Shut Down Money Mule Accounts, Hunt Khmer Capital,” resulted in the seizure of numerous luxury vehicles and the freezing of 27 million baht ($831,200) in assets. Authorities executed search warrants at key locations, including a residential estate in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan Province, seeking evidence against Kok An, who allegedly owns the Crown Casino Resort complex in Poipet—a 25-story building that serves as a major call center base for transnational fraud operations.
The raids were authorized under CCIB Order No. 172/2568, dated June 26, 2025, which established an investigative committee to probe cases involving transnational criminal organizations.
These networks have established operational centers across various locations in Poipet, Cambodia, including the 25-story building, 18-story building, HISO building, and Crown Casino, conducting sophisticated online scams including hybrid fraud schemes, call center operations, and money laundering through cryptocurrency and money mule accounts.
Human Trafficking Component
The criminal enterprise has been particularly devastating in its exploitation of Thai workers, luring them into working as money mules and forcing them to undergo facial recognition scans to confirm transactions. Reports indicate instances of unlawful detention of individuals abroad, highlighting the human trafficking component of these operations.
International Partnership
The enforcement action comes as Thailand simultaneously launches a major international initiative in partnership with Interpol to combat these syndicates on a regional scale. On July 2, 2025, a high-level Thai delegation led by Police General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot visited Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France, where they presented compelling evidence of the crisis’s scope to top officials including Cyril Gout, Executive Director of Police Services, and Abdulaziz Obaidalla, Director of External Relations and Regional Support.
The scale of the problem is staggering: according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the revenue generated by these criminal activities equals over 60% of Cambodia’s national income, demonstrating the entrenched nature of these operations and their massive economic impact across the region.
War Room Initiative
In response to Thailand’s presentation, Interpol has committed its full support, pledging advanced tools, intelligence analysis, and strategic operational planning. Most significantly, Interpol will dispatch specialist officers to staff a newly established “Thailand Cyber Scam and Human Trafficking Incident Management War Room” in Bangkok.
This War Room represents a key policy initiative of the Thai government, positioning Thailand as a regional hub for coordinating multinational efforts against syndicates operating from neighboring countries. The facility will serve as a real-time strategic center for global intelligence sharing, enabling rapid suspect tracking and swift freezing of illicit funds while adapting to criminals’ evolving tactics.
“By leveraging Interpol’s global network of 196 member countries, including both Thailand and Cambodia, we can provide internationally-backed support to Cambodian law enforcement,” Police General Thatchai explained. “This unified front, led by Thailand, will enable decisive action to dismantle these networks.”
Strategic Goals
- The Thai government has set ambitious targets for the War Room initiative:
- Reduce call center and human trafficking-related crime in Thailand by over 50% within three months
- Prevent criminals from using Thailand as a transit route to neighboring countries
The War Room is scheduled to become fully operational by the end of July 2025, marking a significant escalation in both global and regional efforts to combat transnational cyber scam and human trafficking syndicates.
The coordinated approach reflects the sophisticated nature of these criminal networks, which operate with structured divisions of labor across multiple nationalities and have inflicted massive economic and social damage throughout Southeast Asia. Thai cyber police are expected to hold a press conference later today to announce additional details about the ongoing investigation and seized assets.
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