Bangkok: The National Police Chief has outlined a comprehensive strategy to tackle the growing issue of cybercrime, emphasizing the need for borderless cooperation, capacity building, digital training, victim protection, and prosecution. During the 43rd ASEANAPOL Conference at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel in Bangkok, Police General Kittirat Panpetch highlighted the exploitation system of online crime, which heavily involves human trafficking.
According to Thai News Agency, the National Police Chief described cybercrime as a large-scale operation that is not merely fraudulent but a cross-border human trafficking network. This network targets job seekers globally, imprisoning them and coercing them into working in online fraud centers, effectively turning them into modern-day slaves. This recognition of cybercrime as a human trafficking crisis necessitates international cooperation beyond borders.
The Royal Thai Police has proposed three key areas for this cooperation. Firstly, strengthening cross-border operational cooperation is crucial. This involves real-time exchanges of fake news, consistent investigative standards, and a shared operating system to dismantle online fraud centers. The proposal includes forming a special task force on cyberscams and human trafficking under the ASEANAPOL framework, with joint planning of cross-border operations and establishing direct communication channels.
Secondly, the focus is on enhancing digital capabilities. Member states are encouraged to create specialized training centers for cybercrime investigation and to develop a regional cyber information system. This system would allow for the recording and access of digital forensic data, fraud patterns, and the monitoring of suspicious IP addresses.
Lastly, the proposal addresses victim protection and prosecution. Victims are categorized into those defrauded and those forced to defraud others. Training officers to identify and protect these victims is essential, alongside apprehending and prosecuting perpetrators. Systematic exchanges of testimonies and evidence, along with effective victim screening processes and referral mechanisms to other agencies, are vital steps in providing further assistance.
The National Police Chief’s proposal reinforces the urgent need for a collaborative international approach to dismantle the complex networks of cybercrime and human trafficking, recognizing victims as a new form of slavery.