Recently, the Thai police launched a crackdown operation, successfully arresting a criminal gang suspected of illegal usury. It is reported that the gang members operated private lending businesses without authorization and lent money at interest rates far higher than those stipulated by law.
This operation was led by Montri Teshakun, targeting 30-year-old Veeraphat and 23-year-old Meentada, who were accused of profiting through high-interest loans, threats, and intimidation of debtors. The case is even speculated to be related to Thailand's recent plans to open casinos, attracting widespread social attention.
The arrest took place behind the Huai Khwang West Cultural Building in Bangkok, a place that has always been a gathering spot for small vendors and the public, but also became a long-term activity base for the usury gang.
According to reports, these criminals have long been forcibly collecting high interest on illegal loans from vendors at the food plaza on the first floor of the Ministry of Labor, with many vendors suffering public humiliation and even beatings when unable to repay.
Some debtors were also threatened or persecuted when they had difficulty making payments, and these atrocities were openly carried out in government office areas, showing the gang's disdain for the law and law enforcement.
The police revealed that the gang lent money at a daily interest rate of up to 20%, a staggering rate that far exceeds the legal limits.
The gang's operating model was also exposed. They usually chose to enter the market on motorcycles during lunch breaks, wearing helmets to disguise their identities, quickly completing the collection and leaving the scene to avoid attracting attention.
After the arrest operation, the two suspects admitted in their statements that they worked for a behind-the-scenes financier named Gram, responsible for attracting customers and collecting installment payments on loans.
The real identity of Gram has not yet been clarified, but preliminary investigations show that this network has a clear internal hierarchy and division of labor. Each member of the gang is responsible for a specific area to avoid overlapping routes and ensure efficient business operations.
A team called "Sap Lakkachai 5" led by Toey is responsible for attracting new customers, while another core figure, Tum, is in charge of the overall strategy and supervisory management of the operation. The suspects stated that they took a certain percentage of the interest as a commission for each loan they completed.
Surprisingly, this case has triggered deeper speculation. Further investigations by the police have found that these usury gangs may be hiding larger economic interest chains, possibly related to Thailand's recent plans to open casinos.
Since Thailand announced discussions on establishing legal casinos, it is generally believed that this policy may bring about large-scale capital flows, and whether these underground financial activities are part of the gambling industry's financial chain has become a focus of public opinion. The police stated that they will make every effort to track down Gram and his associates to investigate whether there is a larger scope of economic crime and interest collusion.
Currently, the two suspects have been transferred to Huai Khwang Police Station for further legal proceedings. The police emphasized that they will continue to dig deeper into this network to completely destroy its illegal activities in Thailand and called on all sectors of society to actively provide clues. This case not only reveals the exploitation of lower-level workers by usury but also sounds an alarm for the upcoming policy changes.
As the investigation of the case deepens, this incident may reveal a more complex black economic network, becoming another key node in Thailand's crime governance.
