Police Chief Pol. Lt. Gen. Jiraphop Phuridet, Assistant Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, revealed that the Anti-Online Fraud Center (ACSC), the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), and the Bank of Thailand have unanimously agreed to impose heavier charges of “gangster,” “racketeering,” “aiding fraud against the public,” and “money laundering” on mule account groups involved with call center scams, noting that sentences could exceed 100 years in prison.
On 29 January 2026, the Anti-Online Fraud Center (ACSC), under the direction of Pol. Gen. Thana Chuwong, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police and Director of the Police Operations Center (POC), and Pol. Lt. Gen. Jiraphop Phuridet, Assistant Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police and Deputy Director of the POC, disclosed penalties for offenses including “gangster,” “racketeering,” “collaborating or supporting fraud against the public,” and “money laundering” related to those managing mule accounts and cash withdrawal mules who roam to withdraw money for call center gangs, with increased penalties.
This follows coordinated measures and cooperation among the Royal Thai Police, the Bank of Thailand, and commercial banks in Thailand to quickly examine, trace, and freeze mule accounts. Due to current border issues, call center gangs cannot physically bring mule accounts across borders to perform facial recognition transactions in neighboring countries. Consequently, the groups that organize mule accounts, known as “stable operators,” have shifted tactics to roaming and withdrawing cash at bank counters and ATMs. Handlers, sometimes Chinese nationals, supervise multiple cash withdrawal mules who take turns withdrawing cash and handing it over to the call center gangs to obstruct tracing funds from defrauded victims.
Previously, local police under the Anti-Online Fraud Center (ACSC) have investigated, intercepted, and arrested numerous offenders involved. In many cases, both mule handlers and mule account owners claimed ignorance or no involvement, asserting they did not know the money came from deceived victims. Sometimes, multiple prepared mule accounts were seized by police, but offenders still insisted their actions amounted only to consenting to others using their accounts.
Recently, the Anti-Online Fraud Center (ACSC), together with representatives from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), and the Bank of Thailand, organized a workshop to enhance operational efficiency and an information exchange seminar on preventing and suppressing technology-related crimes and money laundering, held from 19–20 January 2026 at the Ayutthaya Room, 7th Floor, Training and Welfare Center, Immigration Bureau.
During discussions and joint meetings, participants agreed that mule handlers and cash withdrawal mules who roam to withdraw money for call center gangs are acting in conspiracy and as an organized group committing offenses under serious charges, namely:
- The offense of “gangster” (involving two or more persons) carries a penalty of imprisonment up to 7 years and a fine up to 140,000 baht.
- If the offender is a “gang leader, manager, or holds a position within the gang,” the penalty increases to imprisonment up to 10 years and a fine up to 200,000 baht.
- The offense of “racketeering” (involving five or more persons) carries a penalty of imprisonment up to 5 years, or a fine up to 100,000 baht, or both.
According to these offenses, the crime is considered committed from the point of conspiracy planning, even if the mule account has not yet received money from victims. Furthermore, the offenses of “gangster” and “racketeering” are separate from the primary offenses of the call center gangs. These are distinct acts committed at different times. In addition to penalties under this law, offenders must also face charges for “collaborating or supporting fraud against the public” and “money laundering.” Claims of ignorance or being deceived are not accepted. If offenders have received money from multiple victims, courts may convict them separately for each transaction and victim, potentially resulting in cumulative sentences exceeding 100 years.
Examples of Supreme Court and other court rulings related to these offenses include:
- Supreme Court ruling no. 2614/2025 determined that the offenses of gangster and racketeering are complete upon conspiracy planning, even before the planned acts are executed.
- Supreme Court ruling no. 8591/2020 held that gangster and racketeering offenses are distinct acts from fraud and money laundering offenses, but can be prosecuted together.
- Supreme Court ruling no. 79/2021 stated that deceiving different victims in different locations constitutes non-specific or general fraud against the public.
- Supreme Court ruling no. 1093/2025 clarified that each instance of deceiving victims to transfer money under different schemes is a separate offense.
- Supreme Court ruling no. 1172/2023 found that money laundering is a separate offense from the underlying crime.
- Supreme Court ruling no. 3957/2023 concluded that withdrawing money from accounts constitutes asset conversion and is an act of money laundering.
- Supreme Court ruling no. 4920/2024 held that being hired to open accounts supports fraud against the public; even if the defendant claims to have been deceived, they cannot deny responsibility.
- Chachoengsao Provincial Court ruling in case no. Black 319/2025 and Red 1230/2025 sentenced the group organizing mule accounts and mule account owners, defendants in separate counts, to a maximum of 119 years imprisonment and ordered restitution to 39 victims, based on police being able to summon victims as witnesses.