>>The Bangkok Post says the men were arrested on several charges including overstaying their visas, working without a permit, using unregistered SIM cards, and, according to a later report also from the Bangkok Post, smuggling.
So if they had arranged the correct visas, paid for a business license and bought the SIM cards legitimately, they could have continued to operate legally. Perhaps all of the above would have reduced their margins to nothing, but I still find it interesting that the actual operation of a clickbot network was never really in question.
I wouldn't even know what part of [inter]national law(s) that could/would be covered by.
Its very common to get criminals on peripheral charges - like tax evasion. Because they are criminals, they habitually circumvent the law. Its easier than making the big charges stick.
So if they had arranged the correct visas, paid for a business license and bought the SIM cards legitimately, they could have continued to operate legally. Perhaps all of the above would have reduced their margins to nothing, but I still find it interesting that the actual operation of a clickbot network was never really in question.
I wouldn't even know what part of [inter]national law(s) that could/would be covered by.