CHON BURI: Sixteen Chinese nationals alleged to be members of a phone scam gang were arrested in Saturday during a police raid on four houses in a compound in Bang Lamung district, on the east side of Pattaya City.
A Thai maid who looked after the properties in tambon Nong Prue was also taken in for questioning.
Investigators from Provincial Police Region 2 and Chon Buri police searched the four houses at 9am on Saturday after receiving a tip-off that Chinese phone scammers had rented the premises for more than 3 months.
The houses were in the same fenced compound. The police team found 12 Chinese men and four women inside, along with the Thai housekeeper.
The Thai woman, identified only as Nee, told police that she had been hired for 7,000 baht a month to buy food and clean the houses. She said she knew very little about the Chinese tenants, other than that they were being paid 10,000 yuan (48,600 baht) a month each.
Police seized some computers, many mobile phones and a safe. A new Toyota Alphard was found parked in the compound. All 17 people arrested were held in police custody for questioning and legal action.
A security guard named Phet told police that he did not know what the Chinese nationals were doing because he just guarded the area outside the compound. Most of the Chinese spent most of their time inside the houses, he said.
A Toyota Alphard was found inside the compound of the houses in Chon Buri where the 16 Chinese nationals were staying. (Photo: Chaiyot Pupattanapong)