The police will no longer have to wait for an Account Freeze Order from the Court or the Department of Law and Order to freeze bank accounts linked to scam cases. The home minister says this change will enable authorities to act faster and improve the chances of recovering money stolen from victims. The minister shared this while presenting the Action Taken Report on crime prevention and reduction at the National Assembly today.
During the session, Punakha’s Lingmukha-Toedwang MP Namgay Wangchuk asked the home minister what the government is doing to recover the money lost to online scammers.
The minister was outlining the progress made in implementing nine recommendations proposed by the Assembly’s Women, Children and Youth Committee during the last session to strengthen crime prevention and enhance public safety in the country.
“Scammers are now able to create their own devices capable of generating OTP numbers. They send these to unsuspecting and often uneducated individuals, using the codes to withdraw money from their bank accounts. Some victims have even reported losing their properties as well,” said Namgay Wangchuk, Lingmukha-Toedwang MP, National Assembly.
The minister said that after a meeting with the Department of Law and Order, banks, telecom companies and the police, it was decided that the police will be allowed to freeze accounts without a court order. He said the previous requirement caused delays that hindered efforts to identify the main scammers and recover the stolen money.
According to a police official, the current system requires police to wait for a court order. They must submit the request before 9 a.m. and typically receive the order only by the end of the day. In some cases, they have had to wait up to a week before the order is issued.
“A person who has been scammed can now report the incident directly to the police. The police will immediately inform the Royal Monetary Authority, which will then alert the banks to freeze the scammer’s account or the account where the money was transferred. This process removes the long wait for court orders and prevents scammers from quickly moving the funds into different accounts,” said Tshering, Home Affairs Minister.
The minister added that many victims of such scams do not even know where to report the cases. He urged the MPs to raise awareness during their constituency visits and guide people on how to seek help.
Additionally, the report directed telecom companies to ensure that mobile numbers used by foreign construction workers are deactivated as soon as their work permits expire, to prevent possible misuse for scamming activities.
Tashi Dekar
Edited by Kipchu
