Marine police have seized eight unlicensed jet-skis and arrested five operators in Phuket during a crackdown on scam gangs preying on tourists.
Visitors to the resort island 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.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in Bangkok assigned the Marine Police Division to carry out the crackdown on Friday, said Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, the CIB commissioner.
Marine police arrested four men and one woman for renting out jet-skis without operating licences, in violation of the Navigation in Thai Waters Act, and related offences.
The five suspects were identified as Kritsada Jaija, 32; Cherdchai Anuphraiwan, 31; Phanomphorn Phrom-ouan, 25; Bancherd Bulan, 40; and Anchalee Tiangnoi, 34.
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, Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said on Saturday.
The five suspects were handed over to the Kamala and Muang police stations for legal action.