Wanted loan shark Wichai Pan-ngam, 47, of Pathum Thani, the alleged leader of the so-called "helmet gang", has surrendered to the Department of Special Investigation after over a year on the run.
DSI director-general Paisith Wongmuang said on Wednesday that Mr Wichai had turned himself in. The DSI very quickly took him to the Criminal Court on Wednesday and sought a detention order. The court approved the first detention period of 12 days for further investigation and interrogation.
The DSI charged Mr Wichai with illegal lending and operating an illegal business.
Investigators told the court that since October 2014 the large organisation run by Mr Wichai and known as V8 had lent money to people and charged 300% interest a year, way above the legal rate of 15%.
Media reports earlier referred to his organisation as the "helmet gang" because his men wore crash helmets and rode high-powered motorbikes when making their regular visits to collect payment from debtors.
The organisation had its headquarters at Rattanakosin Sompote 200 Years housing estate in Thanyaburi district of Pathum Thani. It had 86 branches nationwide, employed about 2,000 workers and had about 1,500 motorcycles for use by debt collectors.
Law officials viewed Mr Wichai as the biggest loan shark in the country.
The DSI objected to any temporary release on bail, saying the man had fled the country and remain away for a long time before returning.
Raids on properties owned by him and his alleged associates started in late 2016. Assets valued at many millions of baht have been seized or frozen.
Mr Wichai denied all charges.