Pol. Lt. Gen. Noppasin led the immigration police investigative team to raid three scammer hideouts in Bangkok, arresting 10 suspects who formed a gang impersonating high-level prosecutors to defraud money, causing damages exceeding 100 million baht.
At 12:00 on 19 Oct 2026, Police Chief Somran Nualma ordered Pol. Lt. Gen. Noppasin Poolsawat, Commander of the Immigration Bureau, along with Pol. Maj. Gen. Thanit Thaiwatcharamat, Deputy Commander, Pol. Maj. Gen. Cherngron Rimpadee, Deputy Commander, Pol. Maj. Gen. Sarawut Khonlai, Head of Immigration Investigation, Pol. Maj. Gen. Decho Sosuwanakul, Commander of Immigration Division 5, Pol. Col. Phisit Srion, Chief of Investigation 2, Pol. Col. Chaya Panakit, Investigation Group Chief, and Acting Pol. Col. Wutipat Napachot, Investigation Chief of Immigration Division 6, leading over 30 immigration officers together with H.E. Mr. Park Yongmin, South Korean Ambassador to Thailand, and South Korean police to raid three operational bases in central Bangkok. They arrested 10 suspects: 2 Chinese nationals and 8 South Koreans.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Noppasin said the arrests stemmed from 4 September 2026, when immigration police and South Korean police arrested Mr. Lim Yongkil, a South Korean national, for overstaying his visa. He was wanted by South Korean authorities for fraud and linked to online gambling. Further investigation revealed connections to call center and online gambling networks involving both Chinese and South Korean perpetrators.
Immigration police tracked the case for over a month, identifying more than three suspicious locations in Lat Phrao-Huai Khwang, Watcharaphon-Chatuchot, and Ratchada-Rama 9 areas, where 8 to 9 Chinese and South Koreans regularly entered and exited daily. Officers observed equipment being moved from the original base to a new house with high-speed internet, computers, and numerous phones, consistent with a scammer operation. Surveillance revealed a Chinese individual acting as the ringleader securing the base, while South Koreans served as admins deceiving victims by posing as prosecutors or government officials to trick them into transferring money.
During the raids, officers arrested 8 South Koreans and 2 Chinese suspects, seizing 13 computers, 21 mobile phones, and 51 related items. Initial findings indicate many South Korean victims suffered losses exceeding 100 million baht. Thai and South Korean police are currently gathering evidence to trace those behind the orders, track financial flows, and identify all network members.
The Immigration Bureau has revoked the suspects' permission to stay in the kingdom, blacklisted them, and detained all suspects pending deportation to South Korea for prosecution.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Noppasin concluded that the Immigration Bureau will continue following Police Chief Somran Nualma's directives by intensifying efforts to block foreign offenders or fugitives entering Thailand. This aligns with the bureau's four pillars: proactive security, intelligence-led operations, network dismantling, and international-standard services to prevent transnational crime at its source while facilitating legitimate travelers. The public is encouraged to report foreign offenders via the immigration hotline 1178, available 24/7.
H.E. Mr. Park Yongmin, the South Korean Ambassador, expressed gratitude to Thai police for their serious crackdown on these gangs, which have caused hundreds of millions of baht in annual damages to many South Korean citizens.