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Laos hands over 67 Thai nationals linked to online scam operations

As these crimes become increasingly sophisticated, Southeast Asian countries are stepping up immigration controls, intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation to disrupt transnational criminal networks, protect the public and curb illegal online activities.

Bangkok (VNA) – Lao authorities have handed over 67 Thai nationals arrested during a recent crackdown on online scam and illegal online gambling operations in Vientiane.

The suspects were transferred to Thai authorities at the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge border checkpoint in Nong Khai province. Following the handover, Thai police and security forces screened the individuals, verified their identities and checked their legal status. Preliminary investigations found that none of them were victims of human trafficking, while no arrest warrants were identified.

Thai investigators said the group had previously worked for online gambling websites in Cambodia. After border crossings between Cambodia and Thailand were closed due to recent clashes, they returned to Thailand before relocating to Vientiane to resume their activities.

In Laos, the suspects rented houses that served as bases for operating online gambling websites around the clock until the facilities were dismantled by Lao authorities.

Lieutenant Colonel Thiyaphat Rangsipramankul, deputy chief of the Nong Khai immigration police team, said Thai immigration authorities have coordinated with their Lao counterparts on five handovers involving serious criminal cases since the beginning of 2026, with a total of 480 individuals transferred. Most of the cases were linked to online scams and illegal online gambling.

Nong Khai immigration police said the 67 individuals would be placed on a monitoring list, although they have not been blacklisted. The measure aims to strengthen oversight and prevent them from leaving the country to engage in similar criminal activities abroad.

In recent years, cross-border online scams and illegal online gambling have emerged as major non-traditional security threats in Southeast Asia. Criminal networks have exploited digital technologies, social media and online platforms to run illicit operations while recruiting workers from multiple countries to staff scam centres based in parts of the region.

As these crimes become increasingly sophisticated, Southeast Asian countries are stepping up immigration controls, intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation to disrupt transnational criminal networks, protect the public and curb illegal online activities. However, tackling these crimes remains challenging because of their cross-border nature, the anonymity afforded by cyberspace and the constant relocation of criminal operations./.​

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