Tourist police bust 3 behind Vietnamese loan ring
The suspects -- Ngo Van Long, 25; Hoang Trung Tran, 21; and Dang Van Ngan, 19 -- were apprehended on Thursday at a residence in Lat Krabang district.
Acting on a tip-off, officers secured a search warrant from the Min Buri Criminal Court and raided the property.
During the raid, Mr Ngo, who claimed to be the tenant, was found upstairs with the two other suspects, working on computers.
Authorities discovered that the trio was running an illegal lending business that specifically targeted Vietnamese nationals in Thailand who lacked work permits and therefore had limited access to legal credit.
According to the investigation, the suspects acted as administrators of the loan operation. They promoted their services via Facebook, collected personal information from borrowers, and installed iCloud accounts on the victims' iPhones.
These accounts enabled the suspects to control the devices remotely. If a borrower failed to repay, the phone could be locked as a means of coercion. Police noted that such loan operations are considered serious criminal offences in Vietnam.
As a result, some Vietnamese lenders attempt to avoid prosecution by relocating their activities to Thailand -- despite the fact that such operations are also illegal under Thai law.
Financial records indicated that the group had handled more than 2.2 billion Vietnamese dong (approximately 2.75 million baht) in loan transactions, with repayments transferred to a bank account in Vietnam.
Further investigation revealed that Mr Ngo had been working in Thailand for two months, earning a monthly salary of 20,000 baht. Mr Hoang and Mr Dang, who were recruited by Mr Ngo, had been involved in the operation for just over a month, each earning between 10,000 and 20,000 baht per month. All three suspects are currently being held at Romklao Police Station.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bangkok Post
7 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Conflict spreads to six Thai provinces
Thailand and Cambodia pounded each other with heavy artillery fire for a third day on Saturday, as a border conflict that has killed at least 33 people and displaced more than 150,000 from their homes spread across the contested frontier. Clashes broke out for the first time in the coastal region of Trat where the countries' borders meet on the Gulf of Thailand, around 250 kilometres southwest of the main frontlines that echoed with blasts on Saturday afternoon. AFP journalists in the Cambodian town of Samraong, near the border that has seen the bulk of the fighting, heard the thump of artillery early Saturday afternoon. A Thai villager reached by phone as he sheltered in a bunker in Si Sa Ket province, just 10 kilometres from the frontier, also reported hearing artillery. 'I just want this to end as soon as possible,' Sutian Phiewchan told AFP. Cambodia has accused Thai forces of expanding the offensive deep into its territory against non-military targets including schools, pagodas and residential areas. Thai forces fired heavy artillery shells into several Cambodian areas outside the conflict zone, Khmer Times reported, citing its defence ministry spokesperson Maly Socheata. Thailand has denied targeting non-military sites. (Story continues below) New air strike The Royal Thai Air Force said it sent two F-16s and two Gripen fighter jets to attack Cambodian military targets in the Phu Makua area of Si Sa Ket on Saturday afternoon to intercept Cambodian ballistic weapons. The site had been retaken by Thai troops earlier in the day. Another target was the area of Prasat Ta Muean Thom in Surin, where Cambodian soldiers had set up artillery and personnel to fire into Thailand. The operation successfully destroyed targets at both locations and the aircraft returned to base safely, the air force said. On Saturday, the Thai army also reported clashes in Sa Kaeo, bringing the number of border provinces involved to six out of seven. Both sides say they are open to a truce in the combat now being fought with jets, tanks and ground troops, but have accused the other of undermining efforts to bring about a ceasefire. The Thai army asked people in its border areas to remain vigilant amid concerns that Cambodia may launch Chinese-made missiles capable of reaching targets in a 130km range, according to a post on Facebook. Siwat Rattana-Ananta, the Thai army attache in Beijing, met with Chinese officials on Friday and was assured that the country hasn't supplied Cambodia any fresh weapons since the start of the clash. All the weapons used by Phnom Penh are from prior deals, he said. Cambodia has relied on China in recent years for modernising its defence sector which includes financial and infrastructure support for the renovation of the Ream Naval Base, as well as extensive military cooperation through joint drills and equipment. In contrast, Thailand — a long-time US treaty ally — boasts squadrons of F-16 and Swedish-made Gripen combat jets and modern tanks. (Story continues below) Tensions over temples Tensions initially flared over long-contested ancient temple sites before fighting spread along the rural border region, marked by a ridge of hills surrounded by jungle and agricultural land where local residents farm mostly rubber and rice. Cambodia's defence ministry said on Saturday that 13 people had been confirmed killed in the fighting since Thursday, including eight civilians and five soldiers, with 71 people wounded. Thai authorities said 13 civilians and seven soldiers had been killed on their side, with 33 injured. The death toll across both nations is now higher than it was in the last major round of fighting between 2008 and 2011. The conflict has also forced more than 138,000 people to be evacuated from Thailand's border regions, and more than 35,000 driven from their homes in Cambodia. After an urgent UN Security Council meeting in New York on Friday, Cambodia's UN ambassador Chhea Keo said his country wanted a ceasefire. 'Cambodia asked for an immediate ceasefire — unconditionally — and we also call for the peaceful solution of the dispute,' he told reporters. Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa said Saturday that for any ceasefire or talks to proceed, Cambodia needed to show 'genuine sincerity in ending the conflict'. Both sides have blamed the other for firing first. (Story continues below) Trading accusations Additionally, Cambodia has accused Thai forces of using cluster munitions, while Thailand accused Cambodia of targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital hit by shells and a petrol station and 7-Eleven in Si Sa Ket struck by at least one rocket, killing eight civilians. Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra visited shelters in Ubon Ratchathani on Saturday to meet evacuees. 'The military needs to complete its operations before any dialogue can take place,' Thaksin told reporters.
Bangkok Post
8 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Si Sa Ket man mourns wife and children killed in shelling
SI SA KET - When the Thai and Cambodian armies began shelling at their contested border on Thursday, Komsan Prachan thought his family was far enough away from the fighting to be safe. The farm worker received a phone call from his children's school asking parents to collect their kids, so he and his wife went and picked up their 14-year-old daughter, 9-year-old son and their son's friend. On the way home, they stopped at a PTT petrol station about three kilometres from their house. Moments later, an artillery shell slammed into the station, destroying the attached 7-Eleven convenience store where Komsan's family and the friend had gone to buy snacks. 'All I was thinking then was, my wife and kids,' the 40-year-old told Reuters at a relative's home in Si Sa Ket province. 'I lost all hope. I could only stand and watch.' More than 30 people, mostly civilians, have been killed on both sides of the border since the fighting started on Thursday, in what has become the worst escalation between the two nations in more than a decade. Both sides have accused each other of starting the conflict. Komsan could hear explosions from early on Thursday morning, but he did not think he needed to evacuate because his house was not in a danger zone. 'I didn't think it would hit this area. There was no bunker around that area as it was considered a safe zone.' Komsan and his wife met in high school. They married after working together for several years in Bangkok, and raised their two children. 'Having them in my life was the greatest blessing,' he said. More than 130,000 people have been displaced by the fighting, with schools forced to close their doors. Local university campuses are being used as temporary shelters for those forced to flee their homes. 'The war is good for no one. They should both talk to each other peacefully. The war only brings loss, loss and loss,' said Komsan. The bereaved husband and father accused the Cambodian government of indiscriminately firing into civilian areas. 'This is not just war, this is murder.'
Bangkok Post
13 hours ago
- Bangkok Post
Thai cyber war room on alert for border-related attacks
Thai authorities have established a 24-hour war room to monitor and respond to potential cyberattacks and other online misbehaviour arising from the conflict along the Thai-Cambodian border. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society has found evidence of attempts by hackers to launch cyberattacks on Thailand through distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks targeting government websites, minister Prasert Jantararuangtong said on Saturday. The ministry is working with the Royal Thai Armed Forces and the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) to prevent any attempts to hack government websites. So far, no damage has been reported, said Mr Prasert, also a deputy prime minister. 'A 24-hour war room has been set up to closely monitor cybercrime attacks, both on the physical and cyber fronts. So far, the attacks have been contained, and the situation remains under control,' said Mr Prasert. He also warned of a growing campaign of disinformation, allegedly originating from Cambodian sources. However, AI-created deepfakes, hate speech and other forms of bad online behaviour are not limited to one country. 'We are maintaining round-the-clock surveillance of cyber warfare activities, both in real-time and in the digital domain,' said the minister. 'There have also been efforts to spread disinformation, such as false claims about a Thai F-16 being shot down or Cambodian forces reclaiming ancient temples from Thailand. These reports are untrue,' he said. The DE Ministry is actively countering false narratives by issuing clarifications and blocking the spread of disinformation across digital platforms. 'We are committed to ensuring the Thai public has access to accurate information,' said the minister.
