Lam Luk Ka: Police raided a luxury home after a village security guard gave them a tip, arresting a gang of 7 Vietnamese people who were lending money online across countries with interest rates as high as 32.5%, and seized the debtors' iCloud accounts to control, track, and investigate them. If they default on their debts, their iCloud accounts will be locked and their phones cannot be used.
According to Thai News Agency, immigration police, along with cyber police and tourist police, conducted a raid on a house in a well-known village in Lam Luk Ka District, Pathum Thani Province. During the operation, they arrested 7 Vietnamese individuals and confiscated evidence including computers, 23 mobile phones, and numerous electronic devices.
The investigation revealed that officers from the Pathum Thani Immigration Bureau were inspecting foreigners in their jurisdiction when a village security guard alerted them to suspicious activities on Soi 2, where several Vietnamese nationals were residing. These individuals were reportedly acting suspiciously and transporting electronic equipment, prompting the officers to inspect the premises.
Upon arrival, officers found the house's gate open and called out, at which point one Vietnamese individual emerged to meet them. With the security guard's assistance, officers entered the house, where another Vietnamese person attempted to flee upstairs. On the second floor, five more Vietnamese individuals were discovered working at computer stations. The officers requested to see their passports, but only six complied, while one failed to produce identification.
A review of the computers uncovered multiple loan transaction records, including a loan of 8 million dong (approximately 10,030 Thai baht), requiring the debtor to pay 265,000 dong per day (332 baht) over 40 installments. This translated to an exorbitant interest rate of 32.5 percent, far exceeding legal limits.
The Vietnamese group confessed to operating as administrators, promoting loans to Vietnamese citizens via Facebook. They instructed borrowers to delete their existing iCloud accounts, replacing them with new accounts to enable control and monitoring of phone usage. Failure to adhere to repayment terms resulted in iCloud accounts being locked, rendering the phones unusable. Given the severe penalties for such activities in Vietnam, the group clandestinely operated in Thailand, although their actions remain illegal under Thai law.
All suspects were taken into custody and transferred to Lam Luk Ka Police Station for further legal proceedings. They face multiple charges, including membership in a criminal organization and unauthorized employment as aliens, under the Criminal Code, Section 209, and Section 8, in conjunction with Section 101 of the Alien Employment Administration Act B.E. 2560.