Opposition calls for ban to extend to other goods that may aid call-centre gangs

People’s Party MP Rangsiman Rome urges the Thai government to expand its export ban to other goods that may aid call-centre scam gangs in Myanmar. He also calls for Thailand to interrogate rescued victims to expose corrupt officials linked to the scams.

People’s Party MP Rangsiman Rome on Monday urged the government to expand the export ban to include other goods that could support the operations of call-centre scam gangs in Myanmar.

Rangsiman made the call while speaking to reporters during his visit to Sarn Jao Pier in Tambon Tha Sai Luad, Mae Sot district, Tak, at 8 am. He led the House Committee on Security, Border Affairs, National Strategies, and Reforms on an inspection visit.

As the committee chair, Rangsiman observed the enforcement of the oil export ban to Myawaddy, located opposite Mae Sot, as part of measures to cut off resources to call-centre scam gangs. The Thai government has already halted electricity and oil supplies to five Myanmar border areas in an effort to cripple these operations.

He inspected Sarn Jao Pier, one of three piers capable of exporting oil to Myanmar, and confirmed that oil exports to Myawaddy from the pier had been completely suspended.

Security agencies informed him that call-centre gangs were expected to exhaust their fuel reserves within a month.

Rangsiman suggested that if the oil export ban proved effective, the Thai government should consider extending the ban to other products that could aid call-centre gangs. These include solar panels and satellite phones, he added.

Additionally, Rangsiman revealed that approximately 800 tonnes of precursor chemicals had been exported from Thailand to Myanmar for the production of methamphetamine pills.

He also proposed that Thailand should take the lead in interrogating victims rescued from call-centre scams in Myanmar. Such interrogations, he argued, would help authorities identify corrupt officials or Thai nationals who may be complicit in these criminal operations. The information gathered would enable the government to effectively dismantle call-centre scam networks that have been using Thailand as a transit hub.

(2025/02/17-00:00)