Crime
Four Men Arrested in Bangkok for Broadcasting Live Sex Acts on Social Media
BANGKOK – Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn, deputy commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau announced at a press meeting that four men — three Thais and a Myanmar national — have been arrested for broadcasting live sexual acts via a China-based mobile application.
The four men were apprehended separately during coordinated police raids, said Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn, deputy commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau, during a media briefing on Friday.
The suspects were charged with violating the Computer Crime Act by uploading obscene pictures into computer systems and broadcasting obscene content and images for trade purpose in violation of Section 287 of the Criminal Code.
The offenses carried a jail term of up to five years and/or fine of up to 100,000 baht.
The arrests followed complaints posted on Surachate Hakparn Facebook that the four had broadcast sexual acts via a mobile phone application that was accessible to the public, Pol Maj Gen Surachate said.
The app, provided by a firm in China, is the most popular among gay communities with more than 27 million users around the world. In Thailand, there are about 300,000 users and the number keeps rising.
Meanwhile, Police have arrested the alleged leader of a notorious call-centre gang, known as “Golden-tongued Keng”, and four members of the gang that operated in several countries, deputy tourist police chief Pol Maj Gen Surachet Hakpal said on Friday.
Gen. Surachet said the gang was suspected of opening call centres to deceive Thais by operating in foreign countries. The gang operated from China, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam.
Surachet said police tracked down and arrested 41-year-old Natthawat Simbida, alias Keng the Golden Tongue, in Phetchabun’s Nam Nao district on Tuesday.
The four other suspects were identified as Jintana Promnoi, 32, Kanong Imkhunthong, 44, Surapol Supcharoen, 46, and Benchawan Plaisuan, 52.
Surachet said police are now hunting for two other suspects, Sombat Fomthaisong, 44 and Utama Khunhong, 42.
Surachet said the gang was suspected of opening call centres to deceive Thais by operating in foreign countries. The gang operated from China, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam, Natthawat was an “idol” of call-centre scammers and got his alias because of his ability to persuade victims.
Source: Bangkok Post, The Nation, Tourist Police
