PUBLISHED : 30 Aug 2023 at 17:04
Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn will go to Cambodia on Thursday to work with Cambodian police hunting down a Chinese-led scam gang in Poipet linked to a family tragedy in Samut Prakan.
Pol Gen Surachate on Thursday called a meeting with police investigators at Samut Prakan’s Muang police station to follow up on progress in the family deaths case.
The deputy national police chief said a warrant had already been approved for the arrest of Sanit Dokmai, 41, who allegdly killed his wife Wipaporn Racha, 44, and their sons, aged 9 and 13 .
Mr Sanit tried unsuccessfully to commit suicide, slashing his own throat and wrist, and is being treated in a hospital.
The extended police investigation led to the issuing of arrest warrants for phone scammers linked to the online fraud and huge debt that apparently trrggered the man’s actions.
The wife fell victim to the scammers and was cheated out of a reported 1.7 million baht, leading the devastated husband to kill her and their children and then try to end his own life.
Pol Gen Surachate said police have court approval to arrest 11 suspects who owned mule bank accounts associated with the scam gang. Two of the suspects had already been arrested.
According to the deputy national police chief, the two suspects were resident in Sa Kaeo. They were tasked with withdrawing cash from their mule accounts and then crossing the border to deliver the money to the Chinese gang leader in Poipet.
On Tuesday night, Suchada Chabutsri, 19, who opened a bank account for the scam gang, was arrested when she returned across the border from Poipet, Pol Col Rung Thongmon, chief of Sa Kaeo immigration police, said on Wednesday.
Ms Suchada was wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Samut Prakan Provincial Court on Aug 28 for colluding in fraud, putting false information into a computer system that caused damage to people, and opening a bank account and allowing others to use it or an electronic card for fraudulent purposes.
Pol Gen Surachate said police seized bank accounts, cash and ATM cards of those involved. He would go to Cambodia on Thursday to coordinate with Cambodian police hunting down the scammers.
“The murder case tramatised people and drew media attention and in particular the cause of the tragedy, which is linked to debts from being tricked by scammers,’’ the deputy national police chief said.