Court denies bail for two Chinese alleged call-centre kingpins

Police believe suspects are masterminds behind multiple call-centre scam gangs

The Criminal Court on Saturday approved the detention of two alleged Chinese call-centre-gang kingpins for 12 days while denying the suspects’ pleas for temporary release after posting 300,000 baht cash each as bail. 

Chinese nationals Ye Wanyou, 28, and Lee Weijie, 29, were arrested on Wednesday night at a house in Soi Phahonyothin 32 in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district under a Criminal Court warrant.

Police believe the two are masterminds behind multiple call-centre scam gangs operating from countries neighbouring Thailand.

Their charges include money-laundering, inputting falsified information to a computer system, and arranging for rent or sale of bank accounts and mobile-phone numbers registered by others.

The court said the suspects’ bail requests were denied as their offences have high penalties and could be linked to an international crime network. The suspects’ detention period of 12 days was granted at the request of investigators in order to find additional evidence and witnesses, the court added.

After the arrests, police froze 18.39 million baht worth of assets allegedly belonging to the suspects, including a Mercedes-Benz valued at 11 million baht.

Police inspector general Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot said on Saturday that further investigation revealed that the suspects had a digital wallet with tokens worth US$2.5 million (84.7 million baht), which officials have successfully confiscated.



Investigators also found a recorded conversation revealing that the suspects have been involved in smuggling workers across the Thai border in Tak’s Mae Sot district into Myanmar, he said.

The conversation also pointed to a location in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which police believed could be an office of the call-centre gang.

(2025/02/08-00:00)