Cyber police arrest woman for illegal loans in Trang

Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) officers apprehended a woman for operating an illegal lending business with a loan interest rate of 20% per month, handling around 3 million baht in transactions.

Police executed a search warrant in Trang province and arrested 43 year old Khwanchira, seizing evidence including 28,000 baht in cash and two ATM cards.

The investigation began when officers from Division 4 of the CCIB identified suspicious activities on Khwanchira’s Facebook account. She was suspected of offering high-interest loans, violating legal interest rate limits.

Through thorough online surveillance, the police confirmed the identity and residence of the account holder.

On arrival at Khwanchira’s residence in the Palian district, officers presented the search warrant and discovered evidence supporting the illegal money-lending operation. During questioning, Khwanchira confessed that the seized items, including the mobile phones used for illegal loan transactions, belonged to her. She admitted to lending money at exorbitant interest rates.

Khwanchira explained her illegal lending model, stating that if a customer borrowed 1,000 baht, they would repay the principal plus interest over seven weeks, paying 200 baht per week. This totalled 1,400 baht, resulting in an effective interest rate of 20% per month. Her lending operations had a cash flow of approximately 3 million baht.

The police charged Khwanchira with lending money at interest rates exceeding legal limits and operating a personal loan business without proper authorisation.

She was taken into custody along with the confiscated items and transferred to Nong Euang Police Station in Trang for further legal action, reported KhaoSod.

In a similar occurrence, cyber police raided and arrested an online loan shark charging exorbitant interest rates of 3% per day, threatening, shaming, and destroying the property of those who failed to pay. They seized numerous items of evidence.

The operation took place under the command of Cyber Police Chief, Worawat Watnakornbancha who instructed relevant authorities to execute a search warrant issued by the Trang Provincial Court on June 12.