Illegal high-interest loan scheme busted in Thung Yai, 3 arrested

Cyber police raided three homes in Thung Yai district, Nakhon Si Thammarat today, arresting three suspects involved in an illegal high-interest loan operation. According to the commander of the police, three suspects were apprehended along with mobile phones, bank account passbooks, record books, and documents detailing loan agreements with interest rates exceeding the legal limit of 15% per year.

Police, led by Thapakorn Humamart, were tasked with carrying out searches in the Thung Yai district after receiving arrest warrants. The suspects were captured in three separate locations. The suspects are: 31 year old Kittipong; 35 year old Kanyakornd; and 36 year old Pimpa. Authorities seized their mobile phones, as well as bank account books and records of their illegal loan operations.

Investigations had begun after police discovered the suspects’ online activities on Facebook, where they posted advertisements to recruit members into their daily money-lending scheme through a group called Share Daily. The group had 31 participating members. These Facebook users were found to have violated lending laws, leading to the suspects’ arrests, reported Khaosod.

During the investigation, police also found multiple posts on the suspects’ Facebook pages that threatened debtors with physical harm and damage to their reputations. The posts typically included photos or videos of the debtors, resulting in public shaming of the individuals and attracting negative comments from Facebook users. The suspects were essentially acting as loan sharks, demanding repayment with exorbitant interest rates that caused considerable harm to debtors.

Upon being apprehended, Pimpa admitted to her ownership of the loan records and documents. She confessed to lending money at illegally high-interest rates without the proper authorisation to operate a personal credit business. Suspects have been charged with organising an illegal loan scheme and harassing debtors with threats and violence, causing physical, financial, and emotional harm. They were subsequently handed over to Thung Yai police station for further legal proceedings.