The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) says it is seeking cooperation from 10 countries in Southeast Asia to establish a regional extradition convention to combat transnational crimes by 2024.
Remarks regarding the matter were made at a recent seminar in Bangkok marking the 129th anniversary of the OAG, which was attended by senior officials from various departments to discuss ways to combat cyber crime.
Jumpon Phansumrit, director-general of the International Affairs Department, said criminal activities today are complex, particularly those involving organised crime, such as call centre scams.
These crimes affect many countries, including Thailand, he said.
Therefore, the OAG is cooperating with neighbouring countries to draft the Asean extradition convention as current measures, such as the International Cooperation in Criminal Matters Act of 1992, are not enough to combat such crimes.
The convention is expected to be put in effect in Asean by 2024, Mr Jumpon said.
According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the region is faced with drug trafficking, human trafficking, counterfeit medical supplies, illegal wildlife trade and cyber crime.
Mr Jumpon said Thailand is being used as a transit point for traffickers and trade-based money laundering through international financial institutions.
He said Thailand also took part in a separate international network called the "International Cooperation in Criminal Matters" to tackle transnational organised crime last year. This particular network will later be expanded to other countries, such as Australia and Maldives, among others, he added.
Benjaporn Watcharavutthichai, a public prosecutor, said fraud cases in Thailand have grown recently as newer technologies enable criminals to set up ponzi schemes and call centres for scams. "Law enforcement officers must update their technologies to catch up with transnational organised crime," she said.
