Things were far from quiet at the First Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge on September 17. Lao police lined up and handed over 129 Thai nationals—including 57 women—suspected of running online gambling and telecom scam networks straight to Thai authorities. Not long ago, they were renting out apartments and booking out entire hotel rooms in Vientiane to operate their scams; now, they're being escorted across the bridge back home.
Lao law enforcement had been tracking the network for some time. On August 28, officers moved in on two separate hideouts in Vientiane's Saysettha district—the Mangrove Hotel and the Gallery Apartment—busting the operation in one swift swoop. To outsiders, these buildings seemed harmless enough. But inside, windows were kept shut tight, with rows of operators working night shifts on computers, sleeping and eating on-site without ever leaving the building.
Following the transfer, Lao authorities called on the public to stay vigilant and report any leads on cybercrime by dialing the 1533 hotline. With local police tightening checks on the streets and inspecting rentals, scam syndicates trying to hide out in hotels and leech off local Wi-Fi are finding it harder and harder to operate.
