Police have seized eight jet-skis and arrested five operators in Phuket during a crackdown on gangs preying on tourists.

Visitors to Phuket have long complained about some operators charging unusually high rental fees for jet-skis, police said. The same operators often accused their customers of damaging the units and forced them to pay exorbitant amounts of money for repairs.

Marine police arrested four men and one woman for renting out jet-skis without operating licences and other offences.

Officers seized eight jet-skis on a beach in tambon Kamala of Kathu district and at a pier in tambon Koh Kaeo of Muang district.

The five suspects were handed over to the Kamala and Muang police stations.