Police have procured advanced tools from an Israeli firm to boost their digital forensic capacity to track down suspects and combat cybercrime, particularly call centre scams.
A source said police have procured advanced digital forensic tools from Israeli firm Cellebrite, a digital intelligence and investigative analytics company that provides tools and services for law enforcement.
Over 100 officers nationwide have been trained to use the technology, which extracts and analyses data from mobile devices.
Royal Thai Police inspector-general Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot spoke about the tools at the closing ceremony of the training programme at the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) on March 21.
He said scammers have become confident in their skills, as many attempt to deceive officers despite knowing they are police.
Those arrested in scam centre busts often claimed to be trafficked victims. Upon returning home, they would flaunt their money, sometimes in the millions, for neighbours to see before returning to scam centres to work.
Digital evidence is needed that could lead to their prosecution for transnational crimes, he said.
Cellebrite's tools will also help support investigations of sexual exploitation of children and other online offences, he said.
"We need technology that suspects cannot dispute. This advanced technology will help protect our society," he said.
Trainees -- most of whom have online forensic-related experience -- underwent stringent training to ensure they can use tools efficiently including for data analysis in court.
Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, commissioner of the CIB, said Cellebrite's digital forensic tools help Thai police meet international standards and respond swiftly to evolving cybercrime.
Officers from 16 police units were trained in three tiers -- 20 professional users, 50 advanced operators, and 940 general users.
Orna Sagiv, Israeli ambassador to Thailand, said the training is another example of international cooperation using Cellabrite to protect against risks.
