On January 5, Khlong Nam Sai police in Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province, together with border patrol forces and the provincial immigration office, detained three Chinese men during an operation in Khlong Nam Sai subdistrict, Aranyaprathet district, near the Cambodian border. Preliminary police inquiries indicated that the men were suspected of entering and remaining in Thailand without permission.
During searches, police found that the suspects were carrying and concealing 8,628 foreign telephone SIM cards labelled as US SIM cards. Officers detained the three suspects and seized all the items, handing them over to Khlong Nam Sai police for further investigation and processing. A case has been opened on charges of foreigners entering and staying in Thailand without permission.
Thailand’s Provincial Police Region 2 said the relevant agencies would strengthen coordination and continue combating cross-border smuggling of communications equipment and other unlawful activities. Police said large-scale SIM-card smuggling was often associated with transnational cybercrime and telecom fraud. Although no direct link between this case and a fraud ring had yet been established, they said its features were consistent with transnational crime patterns, and the investigation was being expanded.
Compiled by our newsroom
