Phuket: Belgian expat’s secret stash of illegal pawn busted

Phuket unveiled a clandestine operation hidden within the opulent residence of a Belgian national. Motorcycles, an array of national IDs, and a single mobile phone were found in the expat’s possession.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Thepnom Suwannarat, Superintendent of Investigation Division 3, Provincial Police Region 8, bore fruit as he apprehended a 63 year old Belgian, known only as Philippe. His home in Moo 7, Rawai Subdistrict, Mueang District, Phuket, now stood as the backdrop to a tale of illicit dealings.

Initial investigations unearthed a trove of evidence – 13 motorcycles, a mobile phone, and a cache of 15 national identification cards, serving as a testament to Philippe’s unsanctioned pawn enterprise. The charges levied against him ranged from operating a pawn shop without permission to engaging in the personal loan business under normal commercial supervision without permission.

Philippe and his incriminating evidence were escorted to Chalong Police Station. Statutes such as the Pawn Shop Act of 1962 and the Financial Institution Business Act of 2008, crafted to safeguard financial integrity, were brazenly flouted by the accused.

Under Thai law, the interest rates on loans must adhere to strict limits – not to exceed 15% per annum or 1.25% per month, reported KhaoSod English.

Yet, within the clandestine confines of Philippe’s operation, these boundaries were blurred, if not entirely disregarded.

In related news, a 32 year old Myanmar national was apprehended in Hat Yai, Songkhla after a violent episode in which he attacked his Belgian partner using a hammer.

The incident, incited by jealousy, according to the apprehended, took place in their shared apartment, leaving the 56 year old Belgian man with severe head injuries and the apartment splattered with blood.

In other news, a Belgian fugitive, previously convicted in Belgium for charges of attempted murder, has been apprehended in Patong. The 36 year old man had been operating as a DJ in a local nightlife establishment for a number of years.