More arrests in police crackdown on mafia

Five of those arrested allegedly ran the Xavier gang and often showed off their guns on social media or to threaten people. 

“We have found several guns and ammunition in their houses,” Pol Maj-General Chayaphon Chayadej, commander of the Counter Crime Planning Division. 

Speaking at a press conference, he revealed that police carried out three pre-dawn raids in Bangkok yesterday. 

The first raid involved two houses in Phasi Charoen district. During the raid, six Thais and six illegal Myanmar workers were arrested. 

“Some of them also had illicit drugs in possession,” Chayapon said. 

Another raid took place in Taling Chan district and targeted a loan-shark gang.

Police said the evidence suggested that the gang had charged an interest rate of 20-per-cent per day. Three suspects were arrested. 

The other raid targeted a boxing camp that allegedly offered illegal money-lending services in Ratchathewi district. 

“We’ve found the four suspects had 89 motorcycles in their possession. These vehicles were apparently pawned to them,” Chayapon said. 

He alleged the suspects |confessed to having charged an interest rate of 30-per-cent per month. 

Over the past three days, police raided 16 locations in the capital as part of efforts to wipe out underworld figures.