BangkokPost-Oct 30
Twenty Chinese people were arrested at a luxury pool villa in Mae Rim district of this northern province on Thursday, suspected of operating scams targeting compatriots in China. The suspects included 14 men and six women, one of whom broke her leg after jumping to the ground in a bid to escape. At least 10 other suspects managed to get away by jumping into the river and fleeing into nearby woods, police said. The detained suspects reportedly told police that their boss paid 120,000 baht a month to rent the 90-million-baht villa by the Ping River in tambon Don Kaew and paid them salaries of 100,000 to 200,000 baht monthly. Officers found about 100 mobile phones and Chinese SIM cards in the house. There were also surveillance cameras to monitor police activity, giving the suspects time to run. Some of the suspects held student visas with admission registered at local universities. Others had entered the country with tourist visas, police said. According to investigators, most of the scams involved an offer of life insurance, or a request to claim an undelivered parcel.
The victims, all Chinese nationals, were duped into transferring money to accounts controlled by the syndicate.
Pol Lt Gen Kritthapol Yisakhon, commissioner of Provincial Police Region 5, said the suspects worked for an established gang that had been raided twice in Hang Dong and Mae Rim districts in July. The network moved its operation to the villa two months ago. Police said all 20 detainees face charges of forming a criminal association and fraud. They are being held at Mae Rim police station for further questioning. Authorities are also coordinating with the Chinese consulate in Chiang Mai to assist in the investigation. Read more at:
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3128841/raid-on-chiang-mai-luxury-villa-nets-20-chinese-scammers?tbref=hp.
