FOUR Chinese members of a ruthless Mafia gang who are wanted on charges lending money at an exorbitant interest rate and torturing their victims if they were unable to clear their debts were arrested in Chonburi for overstaying and all will now be deported to their home country, Naewna newspaper said today (May 30).
The four suspects, Mr. Zhang, 34, (the mastermind), Mr. Xiao Jian, 36, (perpetrator/abductor), Ms. Ge, 34, (perpetrator/abductor), Mr. Yang, 34, (perpetrator/torturer), were arrested at two separate houses in Bang Lamung district with suspects 2 and 3 residing in one and suspect one and four the other.
This followed Fengnan Public Security Bureau in Tangshan City, China, having announced the arrest of the four suspects in March last year on charges of illegal business activities, causing public disturbance, and illegal debt collection.
The first suspect allegedly instructed the second, third, and fourth suspects to lend money at exorbitant interest rates (over 30% per month) to more than 40 victims in China. If the victims failed to repay the interest on time, the second and third suspects were tasked with detaining them in rented rooms and, along with the fourth suspect, torturing them through beatings and various other forms of torture to extort assets from them between July and December 2024.
As this Mafia gang had committed audacious crimes, Thai police tracked them down and rounded them up to prevent them from committing similar crimes here. Their visa had expired for over 245 days, and they had avoided using their own names and passports for various activities including vehicle registration to avoid detection.
Suspects 1, 2, and 3 were taken into custody and transferred to Investigation Division 3, Immigration Bureau, while suspect number 4 was transferred to Huai Yai police station for prosecution before proceeding with their extradition back to their home countries to face legal proceedings.
Police warned the police to avoid borrowing money from unauthorised apps or foreign investment groups, as these often charge steep interest rates and use illegal and violent debt collection methods.
CAPTION:
Top and Front Page – Chinese loan shark Mafia gang arrested in Chonburi for overstaying in Thailand. Photos – Naewna
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