Thai authorities have apprehended a Japanese national, identified as Yamaguchi, in Bangkok’s Sathorn district on charges related to operating call-centre scams in neighboring countries.
Details of the Arrest
Yamaguchi was detained at a luxury residence with a monthly rent of 180,000 baht. The arrest was announced at the Royal Thai Police headquarters, with Naoto Watanabe, an assistant police attaché from the Japanese Embassy, present. Prior to the arrest, the Japanese Embassy had notified the Thai Immigration Bureau to revoke Yamaguchi’s visa on March 13.
Criminal Allegations
Yamaguchi is wanted in Japan on charges including physical assault, fraud, theft, and violations of organized crime control laws. He is suspected of orchestrating call-centre scams in Cambodia and Vietnam and frequently traveled between these countries before returning to Thailand.
Business Operations and Financial Activities
Investigations revealed that Yamaguchi established a company named Last Samurai Japan last year, ostensibly to sell art items. Authorities suspect the firm was used to launder proceeds from his online scam operations. During the raid on his residence, police discovered four other Japanese men believed to be involved in the money laundering activities. Additionally, a hardware digital wallet containing digital assets valued at approximately 30 million baht was seized.
Pending Deportation
Thai police have indicated that Yamaguchi will be deported to Japan early next month after the completion of their investigation.
Related Arrests and Rescues
In a separate operation, Thai authorities arrested Miyashita Mashiro, another Japanese national wanted on theft charges in Japan. Miyashita admitted to serving as a financial officer for a call-centre gang in Myanmar since January. He is also awaiting deportation to Japan.
Furthermore, Thai police assisted two Japanese nationals who had been coerced into illegally crossing the Thai border to work for a call-centre gang in a neighboring country. The Japanese Embassy has been notified to facilitate their return to Japan. The rescued individuals reported that approximately ten more Japanese nationals remain employed by the call-centre gang.
These developments highlight ongoing efforts by Thai authorities to combat transnational criminal activities and protect individuals from exploitation by organized crime syndicates.
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