The Crime Suppression Division, in cooperation with the Immigration Bureau, raided an upscale village in Bang Lamung to arrest four suspects from a Chinese mafia gang wanted for violent debt collection and usurious lending. The suspects allegedly kidnapped and tortured debtors before being cornered by Thai police, awaiting extradition to China for prosecution.
On 30 May 2026, Police Major General Patthanasak Bubpasuwan, Commander of the Crime Suppression Division, ordered Police Colonel Netiwit Thanasitnitikul, Superintendent of Division 2, along with Police Lieutenant Colonel Wachira Thawanapong, Investigator of Division 2, and Police Lieutenant Racha Makmanee, all from the Crime Suppression Division, to collaborate with Police Colonel Suriya Puangsombat, Superintendent of Investigation Unit, Immigration Bureau Region 3. They arrested four Chinese nationals, three of whom had their permission to stay in Thailand revoked, and one charged for criminal offenses.
The suspects include Zhang Chuay, 34; a woman named Koe, 36; another Chinese woman, 34; and Yang, 34. They were apprehended in multiple upscale villages in Huay Yai and Takhian Tia subdistricts, Bang Lamung district, Chonburi province, on charges of "being foreigners residing in the Kingdom after their permission expired."
This arrest stems from the policy of the Center for Combating Transnational Criminals and Illegal Immigration (CCCI) under the direction of Police General Samran Nualma, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police and Director of the CCCI, and Police Lieutenant General Jiraphop Phuridet, Assistant Commissioner and Deputy Director of the CCCI, who emphasized strict monitoring of border crossings and intensified crackdowns on transnational criminal networks hiding in Thailand.
Coordination with authorities in the People's Republic of China revealed that on 20 March 2025, the Fengnan Security Office in Tangshan issued arrest warrants for all four suspects on charges of illegal business operations, causing public disturbances, and unlawful debt collection.
Investigations indicated that the group operated an illegal lending network providing loans to over 40 individuals in China, charging exorbitant interest rates exceeding 30 percent per month. Debtors unable to repay on time were tracked down, confined in rented rooms, and subjected to physical assault and various forms of torture to coerce repayment or extort assets.
Subsequently, the Crime Suppression Division and Immigration Office jointly monitored the network's movements and learned that all suspects had fled to Thailand. They avoided using their real names or passports in transactions to evade official scrutiny.
After continuous surveillance and behavioral analysis, authorities confirmed the Chinese mafia group remained hidden in Bang Lamung district, Chonburi. They gathered evidence to revoke the suspects’ permission to stay in Thailand and then launched an operation to search and arrest them in two upscale villages.
Upon inspection, all four suspects were found inside a residence and were arrested without incident.
Initially, suspects 1, 2, and 3 were handed over to Division 3, Immigration Bureau Investigation, held at the Suan Plu Immigration Detention Center, while suspect 4 was transferred to the Huay Yai Police Station for legal proceedings. They will be deported back to China to undergo justice and serve sentences under their home country’s laws.
The police reaffirm their commitment to continuously crack down on transnational criminal networks to prevent offenders from using Thailand as a hideout or causing harm to the public and national security.