The Thai military said on February 2 that it had seized a large amount of evidence of cross-border fraud at the O'Smach complex in Cambodia - which is accused of being the center of large-scale online fraud.
This area was controlled by Thailand in border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia last year, before the two sides reached a ceasefire in late December.
At a press conference in Surin province, Thai military officials said that O'Smach had detained thousands of people, many of whom were people trafficked across borders, forced to participate in fraud rings if they did not want to be punished.
According to descriptions, these people are forced to play the roles of "bank staff", "police", even "investment advisors", to approach and appropriate victims' money in many countries.
Reporters were taken to visit one of the six-story buildings in the complex - a building that was bombed and occupied by the Thai army at the end of last year.
Inside, papers are scattered everywhere: A long list of potential targets with contact information, pre-written fraudulent conversation scripts, instructions for handling when victims suspect or refuse to transfer money.
We announce this location so that the world can clearly see that it has been used as a crime base against humanity" - Lieutenant General Teeranan Nandhakwang, Director of the Royal Thai Army Intelligence Department, emphasized.
According to him, O'Smach is not only a place for fraud but also shows signs of being involved in other organized activities, including storing weapons and being a springboard for attacks during conflicts.
O'Smach was previously named by the US as the base of fraudulent networks, associated with human trafficking and coercion. However, Cambodia accused Thailand of using these fraudulent centers as an excuse for military attacks.
Cambodian Interior Ministry spokesman - Mr. Touch Sokhak - affirmed that Phnom Penh is launching a strong crackdown campaign and is committed to eliminating the fraudulent industry before April.
The border clashes between the two countries that lasted for weeks ended with a ceasefire at the end of December.
During the fighting, the Thai military airstriked several casinos that they accused of being shells for fraudsters, while serving military purposes.
What was seized at O'Smach shows the sophistication of these networks. The Thai military said it had seized 871 SIM cards allowing anonymous international contact, dozens of smartphones, badges and fake police uniforms.
Notably, inside the complex there are also many rooms staged like police stations of different countries, from Brazil, China to Australia, to create absolute trust for victims on the other side of the screen.
In recent years, border areas between Thailand - Myanmar - Cambodia have emerged as "hot spots" for online fraud, bringing in billions of USD each year for criminal organizations.
