(ECNS) -- Chinese and Thai police have dismantled a transnational credit card fraud ring targeting Chinese citizens, arresting nine suspects in a coordinated operation, China's Ministry of Public Security said Thursday.

The joint action destroyed multiple criminal hideouts, with four Chinese and five Thai suspects taken into custody. Officials said it marked the first synchronized law-enforcement operation between the two countries against economic crime.

Investigators found that in 2024, suspects Ji and Xiao conspired to carry out the scheme. Ji allegedly opened a dried-fruit shop in Thailand and lured victims with discounts for purchases using UnionPay cards, illegally obtaining their credit card information.

Xiao allegedly produced counterfeit cards and recruited individuals to use them for fraudulent transactions and sell the stolen cards for profit. The amount of money involved in the case has so far been found to exceed 5 million yuan (about $700,000).

The Ministry said the operation has effectively deterred transnational economic crime and underscored the growing cooperation between Chinese and Thai police in tackling financial offenses.