Neighbours pledge to target scammers
Thailand and Cambodia will work together to boost military ties and stamp out cross-border crime including the recent spate of call centre scams.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for National Defence Tea Banh yesterday attended the 15th meeting of the Thai-Cambodia General Border Committee hosted by Thailand in Bangkok.
Gen Kongcheep Tantravanich, a spokesman for Gen Prawit, said before the meeting that the two sides have pledged to increase military cooperation as well as work together to crack down on transnational crime, the drug trade and human trafficking, cybercrime, and particularly call centre scammers duping Thais to work illegally for them in Cambodia.
The two sides also agreed to press ahead with landmine clearing operations along the border, Gen Kongcheep said.
Gen Prawit also thanked Cambodia for supporting Thai authorities’ efforts to clamp down on the bogus call centres and rescue Thai workers, the spokesman said. Gen Prawit further asked Cambodia to continue helping with efforts to locate Thais lured by such call centre scammers and send them back to Thailand.
During the meeting, the Thai side stressed the need for the Thai and Cambodian armed forces and related agencies to cooperate to maintain peace and stability along the border, Gen Kongcheep said.
The two sides acknowledged progress in reopening border passes, landmine clearing, cross-border trade, projects, establishing mechanisms under the framework of the Thai-Cambodian Regional Border Committee, and the meeting of the border defence forces of the two nations to solve problems along the border, he said.
The two sides also agreed that local agencies from the two countries should work together to tackle drug trafficking and ensure border areas along the Mekong River are free of drug trading, he added.