u/Caesarea_G

An ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) comprising representatives from the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, accompanied by Thai and international journalists, visited the O’Smach–Chong Chom area along the Thai-Cambodian border in Surin province. The delegation inspected a base allegedly operated by scam networks and transnational criminal organisations. Thai forces have controlled more than 500 rai, approximately 80 hectares, of the area since two rounds of clashes along the border.

Inside the compound, the delegation found a large hall apparently used by scammers to contact and deceive victims. The facility contained prepared scripts, costumes and mock settings designed to support fraudulent impersonation schemes.

The compound also contained a hospital equipped with an operating theatre, medical instruments, an obstetrics and gynaecology room, an X-ray room and a blood-testing laboratory. Thai authorities said they had obtained information alleging that, in addition to providing ordinary medical treatment and surgery, the hospital had been used to remove organs from people considered no longer useful to the operation and sell them.

In the basement of a four-storey command building, inspectors found detention cells and 12 rooms reportedly used for torture. The sealed rooms had no ventilation and were individually monitored by CCTV cameras. An electrified chair and electric shock batons were also found, allegedly used to punish workers who failed to meet their assigned revenue targets.

After inspecting the area for almost two hours, Air Chief Marshal Prapas Sornchaidee, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Air Force, said the visit was conducted on behalf of the Thai government, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Thai people. Its purpose was to present the facts to the international community. He reiterated that Thailand had no intention of seizing Cambodian territory.

Prapas said Thai authorities had been unaware that the area housed a major scam operation before taking control of it. Thai forces entered the area after it was allegedly used to launch drones, position snipers and conduct armed attacks against Thai troops and civilians. After securing the site, they discovered more than 150 buildings and what appeared to be a large-scale scam operation.

Source: ข่าวช่องวัน

The aircraft took off from a military airbase near Dublin this morning. You can track the flight back to Ireland here: https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=4ca448&lat=53.307&lon=-6.442&zoom=7.2  

Our long-standing partner in coverage of the Kinahan cartel, The Times, has been documenting the extradition process. Daniel is the second key figure of the crime group to be apprehended in the Emirates following his high-profile arrest in April.  https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/daniel-kinahan-cartel-extradition-ireland-hpj8jjjq9 

Last week, we revealed that a new visa had just been issued for Daniel’s brother Christopher Kinahan Jr despite US sanctions imposed in 2022. And that key cartel members are still operating within the United Arab Emirates on expired visas. https://www.bellingcat.com/news/2026/08/01/welcome-to-dubai-kinahan-cartels-visas-revealed/