Thai authorities, with assistance from the Australian Federal Police, raided in Bangkok suburb luxury mansion in Samut Prakan on June 16, 2025. Police apprehended 13 foreign nationals—Australians, British, Canadians, and South Africans- running an elaborate "boiler room" scam operation center that defrauded over AUD 1.9 million from thousands of Australian victims using high-pressure sales pitches and doctored documents.
/*Multi-National Arrests in Mansion Raid*/ Thai police, with AFP intelligence under Operation Firestorm, stormed the six-bedroom mansion following months of surveillance. The group apprehended includes five Australians, six British nationals, one Canadian, and one South African, aged 43–51. They are being charged initially with conspiracy and trading without proper permits, for which the penalty is up to five years behind bars under Thai law.
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Source: AP: Thailand Central Investigation Bureau
/*Scam Centre Uncovered Inside Mansion*/ Within, the officers discovered cubicles containing laptops, phones, printed-out scripts, whiteboards, and clocks showing Australian time zones. The gang impersonated financial advisers, selling "high‑yield bonds" of 7–10% yield purportedly on the strength of forged documents and aggressive sales tactics to exploit their targets. Phones, computers, and elaborate spreadsheets of over 14,000 potential Australian victims were also confiscated by the authorities.
/*Financial Impact & Victims' Losses*/ Police verify the swindlers stole at least AUD 1.9 million from their victims since April. AFP Assistant Commissioner Kristie‑Lee Cressy addressed the press that an estimated 14,000 Australians were tricked into making funds transfers for bogus investments and confirmed that overall Australian losses to online fraud have reached AUD 4.45 billion in the last four years. The victims, including seniors, lost lifetime savings after falling for these bogus "investment deals."
/*Wider Crackdown and Next Steps*/ It is Thailand's biggest bust under Operation Firestorm, following similar crackdowns in Manila. Authorities now sift through seized computer data in hopes of tracing stolen money. Meanwhile, Thai and Australian officials urge individuals to be on their guard online and to report unusual investment requests. Additional charges, including racketeering, fraud, and participation in organised crime, are expected as investigations go on.