Thailand snatches US$260 million from cross-border scammers in ‘decisive’ crackdown

Thai authorities have seized assets worth 8.3 billion baht (US$260 million) belonging to people behind an alleged money-laundering network linked to transnational cyber scam operations in Cambodia.The latest seizure by the Anti-Money Laundering Office included cash, cars, bank deposits and other securities, bringing the total value of assets confiscated in the widening probe to more than 20 billion baht, officials said at a briefing in Bangkok on Thursday.The network of offenders included South African-born businessman Benjamin Mauerberger, also known as Ben Smith, Cambodian tycoon Yim Leak, and their spouses, as well as a Thai woman who carried out financial transactions on their behalf, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said at the briefing. The accused have engaged not only in scam operations but also in drug-related crimes, he said.Mauerberger and Leak’s lawyers have previously denied the charges.Benjamin Mauerberger, also known as Ben Smith, is accused of cross-border investment fraud dating back to 2016. Photo: Handout“The threat from scammers is becoming increasingly sophisticated and widespread, with tens of thousands of our people falling victim and losing everything,” Anutin said. “My fellow citizens and the international community want these crimes to be dealt with decisively.”Thai authorities previously confiscated 68 items worth 12.1 billion baht from the group earlier this year, including land, condominiums, cars, yachts and funds in bank accounts.In recent years, Thailand has faced a growing challenge in curbing the illegal, industrial-scale scam hubs operating out of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.The billion-dollar operations are often run by Chinese fugitives who fled their home country in 2020, following a domestic crackdown.01:46Thai military showcases gutted town-sized scam complex on Cambodian border