Crime Vietnamese Loan Shark Syndicate Busted in Pathum Thani

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Khaosod.

 

Immigration have dismantled a Vietnamese loan shark operation based in Thailand, used to illegally provide high-interest loans to Vietnamese citizens back home. The operation was valued at nearly 500 million baht and involved digital control over victims’ iPhones via iCloud.

 

The raid took place at a property in Moo 2, Khlong Si subdistrict, Khlong Luang district, following orders from Police Lieutenant General Panumas Boonyaluck, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau. Acting on intelligence, a task force led by Police Major General Chairit Anurit, Commander of Immigration Division 3, and senior officers, stormed the rented residence after reports of suspicious foreign nationals moving computer equipment into the premises.

 

At the scene, authorities found seven Vietnamese men, aged between 21 and 40, working online inside the house. Officers seized seven desktop computers, 29 mobile phones and various electronic devices. Upon examining the computers, police discovered software including iCloud and encrypted communication tools, used to control customers’ personal data remotely.

 

Interrogation revealed the group operated as administrators for a loan service targeting Vietnamese nationals in Vietnam. The syndicate advertised through Facebook, offered loans via cloud-based accounts they created, and used the iCloud lock function to disable clients’ iPhones when repayments were missed, effectively holding the phones hostage. This coercive method is considered a serious criminal offence in Vietnam, where authorities are actively cracking down on similar operations.

 

The bust followed months of joint intelligence gathering, stemming from a prior arrest in early July 2023 involving a similar network. Thai authorities continued coordinating with their Vietnamese counterparts, leading to this successful operation.

 

All seven suspects have been charged with belonging to a criminal association and working without the proper permits, a violation. They have been handed over to Khlong Luang Police Station for further legal proceedings.

 

Police Major General Chairit confirmed that Vietnam has already arrested over 40 individuals linked to this cross-border loan racket. Authorities have seized computers, smartphones, vehicles and other assets, including 23 bank accounts and identified over 100,000 victims, with annual interest rates as high as 350%. The total damages are estimated at over 400 billion dong (approx. 496 million baht).

 

The offence carries penalties of up to 5 years’ imprisonment and fines exceeding 200,000 baht under Vietnamese law.

 

Following prosecution in Thailand, the arrested individuals will be blacklisted, have their right to remain in the Kingdom revoked, and will be deported back to Vietnam.

 

The Immigration Bureau reiterated its commitment to monitoring and cracking down on all forms of illegal activities involving foreign nationals. The public is encouraged to report suspicious behaviour via the Immigration Bureau hotline at 1178 or through the website www.immigration.go.th.

 

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Khaosod 2025-07-16