CHON BURI: Five Chinese nationals have been arrested for illegally running an online money lending service from a luxury house in Pattaya.
Local, immigration and tourist police raided the two-storey house in tambon Nong Prue in Bang Lamung district on Tuesday night after investigators confirmed that Chinese nationals believed involved in an illegal business stayed there.
There were five Chinese in the house, four men and one women, aged 29-41 years. on the first floor. They were using notebook computers to communicate with customers in Chinese. The officers seized eight portable computers, 12 mobile phones, 50 SIM cards and a list of more than 100 customers.
Pol Maj Gen Kamphon Leelaprapaphorn, chief of Chon Buri police, said the raid followed orders from Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, deputy national police chief, for police units to integrate their efforts and crack down on foreign nationals running illegal businesses across the country, especially in Pattaya town, a major tourism centre.
Investigators learned a group of Chinese had rented a house at 180,000 baht a month in Bang Lamung district and were suspected of running an illegal business. This led to the police raid.
According to Pol Maj Gen Kamphon, the five suspects provided an online illegal loan service with tens of millions of baht in circulation. The gang leader was a 36-year-old man. Their customers were in China.
Their passports showed that all five had overstayed their visas.
Pol Maj Gen Kamphon said the suspects claimed they were not aware what they were doing was illegal. They were handed over to Nong Pheu police for legal action.
They were believed to be part of a much larger operation. The investgation was being extended, the provincial police chief said.
Police question the five Chinese suspects, four men and one woman, at the Pattaya house on Tuesday night. (Photo supplied/ Chaiyot Pupattanapong)