Thai police repatriate M’sian woman duped by Taiwanese scam syndicate

BANGKOK: A Malaysian woman who was duped by a call centre scam headed by a Taiwanese gangster was repatriated yesterday.

This follows the rescue of the 21-year-old victim following a police raid at a condominium in the Bangna area on Oct 27 last year.

In announcing the woman’s repatriation, Thai Tourist Police Bureau deputy head, Maj Gen Surachet Hakpan said she was deceived by the ‘Macau Scam’ syndicate to work with them.

He said a representative from the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok, Supt Ridzuan Abdul Aziz was also present to witness the repatriation.

“She is expected to take a flight home to Malaysia today, after completing the necessary paperwork,” said Surachet, who also heads an operation centre set up by the Royal Thai Police (RTP) to suppress the call-centre scam in the country.

Last month, three Malaysians comprising two men and a woman who were beaten and held captive by the same Taiwaneseled syndicate were also put on a plane by Thai police for repatriation.

The three victims, who were earlier placed at the Witness Protection Centre in Bangkok during their remand period, became the main witnesses for the Thai police in the case.

During the October raid which was fuelled by the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok, two other Malaysian men were arrested, along with a 29-year-old Taiwanese, believed to be the mastermind.

Another 19-year-old Malaysian man, suspected to be the recruiter for the syndicate was nabbed at Suvarnabhumi Airport subsequently.

Surachet also extended the Thai police appreciation to the Malaysian police on the latter’s raid last January on a call centre scam syndicate headed by Taiwanese and Malaysians in Kuala Lumpur recently, where two Thais were rescued.

He said the two men, aged 23 and 36 were beaten up and held against their will by syndicate members, he said, adding the victims were currently placed under the care of the Malaysian authorities in Kuala Lumpur.

In that raid, Malaysian police arrested three Taiwanese and two Malaysians, he added.