Loan shark took nude photos of staff

PHUKET TOWN: Police found a naked woman with hands and feet bound in chains in the house of a loan shark on Soi Taling Chan yesterday after receiving a tip-off about an illegal gun. Pol Lt Akanit Danpitaksart, of Phuket Town Police station, obtained a search warrant after hearing that an illegal pistol had been seen in the house in Tambon Talad Yai. Lt Akanit said, “When we arrived, we met Kongrit Patan, the owner of house, and found the naked, 46-year-old woman sleeping on the stairs to the second floor.” In the house, police also found 23 bullets for a 9mm pistol hidden under a sarong, which was under a desk, and a roll of film with seven photos of the woman and a man, also naked. The woman claimed that the house was being used as a loan [shark] office and that she had collected loan payments and interest for Kongrit for about a year. Apparently, he had come to the house with some accomplices and accused her of skimming 5,000 baht from payments. Kongrit took photos of her and a former male employee, who was bound and gagged with masking tape, after forcing them to undress. He then threatened to show everyone the pictures if she did not return the money. The police charged Kongrit with illegal possession of ammunition and deprivation of liberty, to which he confessed.