Chonburi: DSI arrests another suspect in a transnational scam that lured victims to work in the Philippines. The Investigative, Tracing, and Intelligence Center arrested Ms. Pennapa, a suspect under Criminal Court arrest warrant No. 1798/2568 dated March 15, 2025, for the offense of “colluding by agreement of two or more persons to commit human trafficking,” on Koh Larn, Na Kluea Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province. The arresting officers informed her of the charges and her rights under the Criminal Procedure Code, including the requirement to continuously record images and audio during the arrest and detention until she was handed over to the Special Case Investigator. Information on the detained person (Por Tor 1) was also recorded in accordance with the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act B.E. 2565 (2022), and the suspect was handed over to the Special Case Investigator responsible for the case for further legal proceedings.

According to Thai News Agency, this case is under the jurisdiction of the Human Trafficking Division. This follows an incident in 2022 in which 10 Thais were deceived by a human trafficking ring into working at a company near Manila, Philippines. They were forced to work in a scam involving Thais investing in Bitcoin. If the victims refused to work, they were seriously injured. Thai authorities coordinated assistance and safely transported the victims back to Thailand. The Human Trafficking Division of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) conducted an investigation and expanded the investigation in collaboration with Philippine law enforcement agencies, leading to the issuance of arrest warrants for 15 Thais, two Chinese, and one Singaporean. The arrest of one more individual, in addition to the previously arrested suspects.