The Crime Suppression Division (CSD) has arrested five Chinese suspects who were allegedly members of a credit card fraud syndicate which caused more than 180 million baht in losses to victims in Bangkok late last week.
Four of the men were identified as Zu Jian, 42; Cui Yuan Chang, 31; Tan Guo Ping, 40; and Lui Shujin, 41. The sole Chinese woman in the gang was Zhu Gao Ping, 53.
Mr Zu and Mr Cui were detained in Sathon district last Friday while Mr Tan, Mr Lui and Ms Zhu were apprehended in the same district on Saturday.
Authorities also confiscated 182 electronic cards, a credit card terminal, six electronic card readers, a numbering machine, a laminating machine, a card printer, three computer notebooks and 11 passports.
Pol Col Panthana Nutchanart, deputy CSD commander, said the arrests were carried out after an employee from Siam Commercial Bank reported to the CSD that two Chinese suspects made payments using a fake credit card at a gold shop at the Big C Ratchadamri branch in Pathumwan district on Friday.
When police reached the scene, they found only Mr Zu.
Police then tracked Mr Zu to his hotel, the Tivoli Hotel on Sathorn Soi 1, where they found Mr Cui, who was attempting to speed away in a car with a Chinese licence plate.
Officers say they found a number of fake credit cards and machines used to produce fake credit cards in the suspects' rooms.
Police found the vehicle used by Mr Cui was rented from China by Mr Tan, the third suspect, who stayed at the Malaysia Hotel in the same district.
Mr Tan's account led to the arrest of the fourth suspect, Ms Zhu. On Saturday, police widened the probe to finally apprehend Mr Lui at the Tivoli Hotel.
During questioning the suspects confessed they had used fake credit cards and fake passports to buy gold and later exchanged the items for money, officers said.
They would then deposit the money into a Kasikornbank bank account under the name of Yong Huang, as well as some overseas accounts.
Pol Col Panthana said the credit card fraud gang was led by Mr Cui and Mr Lui.
He said the suspects travelled to the country several times in the past eight months and would stay between 1-2 weeks each time.
Police are now hunting for three other suspected members who remain at large.