Thailand arrests Japanese scam network suspect

Thai police have arrested a Japanese man suspected of running an international scam network, a senior officer said on Thursday, as authorities crack down on the illegal operations.

Tetsuya Yamaguchi was arrested at his rented condominium in central Bangkok last Friday, senior police inspector Thatchai Pitaneelaboot told reporters.

Officers detained the 46-year-old on a request from the Japanese police, who want him for fraud and other charges including involvement with organised crime.

"We found that Yamaguchi has links with call centre operations in Cambodia and Vietnam," Thatchai told reporters.

Yamaguchi's visa was revoked and he will be extradited to Japan early April.

During the arrest, police also found four more Japanese suspects, all with criminal records in Japan, one of whom was running a company used as a front for money laundering.

A multi-billion-dollar industry has sprung up in recent years running online and phone scams from compounds in Southeast Asia -- particularly Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

Workers in the compounds, many of whom say they were tricked or coerced into the job, run romance, casino and investment scams to swindle victims all around the world.

Under pressure from China, authorities in Myanmar have cracked down on scam compounds in its lawless border regions, freeing thousands of workers.

Around 4,500 people have been repatriated through Thailand since late February, including more than 3,000 Chinese nationals.