Cops digitise war against cybercrime

AI, data, teamwork drive crackdown

- WASSAYOS NGAMKHAM

The Royal Thai Police is stepping up efforts against call centre gangs and online scammers after the government declared cybercrime suppression a national priority.

Under the leadership of Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, assistant commissioner-general and deputy director of the Police Cyber Task Force (PCT), the force is adopting a data-driven approach to trace and dismantle criminal networks by building what he calls a "financial DNA" of scammers.

In an interview with the Bangkok Post, Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said law enforcement authorities are now tracking criminal money flows from the creation of mule accounts to the conversion of stolen funds into digital assets with the aim of recovering victims' money and capturing the masterminds behind these operations.

He added this strategy forms part of the national initiative to develop a "Digital Police" force capable of tackling complex forms of cybercrime.

NEW FRAMEWORK

Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said police are enforcing the 2025 Royal Decree on the Prevention and Suppression of Technology Crimes, a landmark law that modernises legal tools for combating online fraud.

The decree empowers the police to act as the lead criminal prosecution agency and to coordinate with financial and digital institutions to collect and use data effectively.

"To make the law work, officers must fully understand and correctly apply it," Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said, noting the force is conducting workshops and online training programmes nationwide to enhance officers' legal literacy and operational skills.

"Police are no longer looking only at the 'destination account," Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said.

"We're now building the 'financial DNA' of criminal groups by following money trails from the moment mule accounts are opened until the funds are converted into digital currencies or transferred overseas."