DSI Welcomes Mr. Takeshi Ohama, Senior Commissioner of the Organized Crime Department, National Police Agency of Japan, and His Delegation on the Occasion of a Courtesy Call and Official Discussion

DSI Welcomes Mr. Takeshi Ohama, Senior Commissioner of the Organized Crime Department, National Police Agency of Japan, and His Delegation on the Occasion of a Courtesy Call and Official Discussion

Bangkok, Thailand - On April 23, 2026, at 10:00 AM At the Reception Room, 2nd Floor, Government Complex Commemorating His Majesty the King, Rajaburi Direkriddhi Building, Police Major Yutthana Praedam, Director-General of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), assigned Police Lieutenant Colonel Anurak Rojnirankit, Deputy Director-General of the DSI, along with Police Lieutenant Colonel Chanchai Likhitkanthasorn, Director of the Security Crime Bureau, Mr. Suwapich Manopas, Deputy Director of the Security Crime Bureau, Mr. Udomkarn Warotamasikkhadit, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs and Transnational Crime Bureau, and related officials, to welcome Mr. Takeshi Ohama, Senior Commissioner of the Organized Crime Department, National Police Agency of Japan (NPA), and his delegation. Officials from the Embassy of Japan in Thailand were also present on the occasion of this courtesy call and official discussion.

The DSI and the National Police Agency of Japan have maintained excellent relations and continuous close cooperation. Senior Commissioner Takeshi expressed his gratitude to the DSI for the warm welcome and for the excellent, ongoing cooperation and close coordination in the investigation of the Tomoko Kawashita murder case.

Currently, the National Police Agency of Japan is in the process of examining the DNA found at the crime scene to compare it with the criminal database in Japan. Furthermore, the NPA has requested relevant evidence through the Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) channel. This evidence will support the investigation and legal prosecution after the statute of limitations for the case in Thailand expires in November 2027.

Mr. Suwapich, head of the investigative team for the case, reported that in March, the investigative team and Japanese police officers held a meeting to comprehensively discuss and exchange facts about the case. They thoroughly clarified the progress of the investigation on all issues and are ready to conduct further examinations regarding any remaining points of doubt or newly received information.

In addition, Mr. Kei Ikeda, Superintendent of the 2nd Organized Crime Division, presented an overview of the online fraud crime situation in Japan. Financial damages have been increasing, particularly from scams impersonating government officials and the use of advanced technology, such as Deepfakes for disguise. This has resulted in a much wider age range among victims. It was also discovered that these are transnational organized crimes, as 81% of the IP addresses originate from abroad—specifically from countries like Nigeria, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The operation bases are currently located in Cambodia, with a trend indicating expansion into Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and West Africa.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Anurak expressed his great pleasure in cooperating and supporting these operations. The DSI will consider handing over the documents and evidence through the Attorney General, who acts as the Central Authority, in accordance with the MLA request from the National Police Agency of Japan. He also assigned the Foreign Affairs and Transnational Crime Bureau to be the principal agency in coordinating information regarding the individuals and criminal networks involved to proceed with relevant actions.

Both agencies agreed that modern transnational crimes cannot be solved by a single country and require mutual information sharing. They also considered drafting a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to tangibly elevate their cooperation going forward.