Thai Military Exhibits Vast Evidence of Transnational Fraud From Seized Cambodian Scam Compound
O’Smach site near the Thai-Cambodian border yielded documents, staged police sets and mobility equipment linked to global fraud schemes after military occupation
Thai military officials have revealed a substantial body of evidence of organised transnational fraud found in a Cambodian compound at O’Smach, near the Thai-Cambodian border, following clashes between the two countries last year.
Senior officers briefed reporters and foreign delegates in Surin province, presenting material seized from a six-storey building that had been bombarded and later occupied by Thai forces after weeks of intense fighting.
The building contained masses of documents listing possible targets and victim contact details, scam dialogue scripts and thousands of communication devices, underscoring the complex and systematic nature of the fraud operations.
According to Thai intelligence, the O’Smach complex had housed thousands of people, many of whom were believed to be victims of human trafficking coerced into participating in scam operations under threat of punishment.
Investigators identified rooms set up to mimic offices of police and law enforcement authorities from multiple countries, including Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and Brazil, as well as mock-ups of bank branches.
Among the items catalogued by military personnel were some 871 SIM cards used for anonymous international communications and dozens of smartphones.
The Thai army officials said they displayed the site to convey to the global community how the location had allegedly been used as a base for criminal activity affecting victims worldwide.
The O’Smach complex had previously been cited by the United States in relation to trafficking and forced criminality.
Cambodian authorities have disputed Thai characterisations, suggesting that Thailand has used the existence of scam centres as a pretext for military actions.
Both countries agreed to a ceasefire in late December that halted the most severe border clashes in years and left the Thai military in control of the compound, which they maintain as part of a broader effort to combat illicit scam networks that span Southeast Asia.