Russian Man Arrested in Phuket for ATM Withdrawals Linked to Call Centre Scam

Police in Phuket have detained a Russian national suspected of involvement in a call centre scam network after tracking a series of suspicious ATM withdrawals.

The suspect, 41-year-old Anton Kurchenko, came under surveillance by Phuket Provincial Police after repeatedly withdrawing cash from machines located outside a supermarket on Soi Ta-iad in the Chalong area.

According to investigators, Kurchenko carried out 16 separate withdrawals, collecting a total of approximately 331,000 baht. Authorities linked the transactions to 16 scam cases, with combined losses reported at more than 790,000 baht. Police believe he was acting as a cash handler, withdrawing funds from mule accounts as part of a broader money laundering scheme.

Following the investigation, officers searched an apartment in Rawai, where Kurchenko was located and taken into custody. As several of the related fraud cases were reported in Surat Thani, he was later transferred to Kanchanadit Police Station for further legal action. Investigators plan to continue questioning him in order to identify other members of the network.

The arrest comes amid a wider crackdown on transnational scam operations in Thailand. In a similar case last month in Chon Buri, police detained a 20-year-old Russian suspect accused of withdrawing over 4.6 million baht from multiple ATMs. Authorities seized cash, a smartphone, and a motorcycle as evidence.

Elsewhere, law enforcement agencies have also targeted large-scale scam operations. In Bangkok, 11 South Korean nationals were arrested at two upscale residences that had been converted into call centre hubs equipped with communication tools and scripted fraud schemes. In another case, 94 Vietnamese nationals were detained at a condominium for running online gambling platforms believed to be linked to scam networks. Many of those arrested claimed they had been misled by fake job offers.

In a separate operation reported on April 20, more than 30 Indian nationals were arrested in Chon Buri for allegedly operating an investment scam targeting victims in their home country.