20 Chinese ‘fraudsters’ held after Pattaya raids
Twenty Chinese citizens were arrested in two raids in Pattaya and were charged with opening websites to deceive their compatriots in China.
Chon Buri police chief Maj Gen Nanthachart Supamongkol and Pattaya’s Pol Col Chitdecha Songhong held a press conference to announce the results of the raids on Tuesday.
In the first raid, six Chinese men were arrested at a house on Soi Khao Talo in Moo 10 village in Tambon Nong Plue in Chon Buri's Bang Lamung district.
They were charged with opening a website to deceive Chinese gamblers into making bogus bets. The six were also charged with unlawful entry into the kingdom.
Police also seized five computers and 15 mobile phones from their house. Police said about 500,000 yuan (Bt2.4 million) was lost in bogus bets on the website each day.
In the second raid, police arrested 14 Chinese nationals at a house in the Viewpoint housing estate and at the Lumpini Jomthian Sea View condominium.
The 14 entered the country legally, the police said. They were charged with working without a permit and for opening a website to deceive Chinese investors to buy stocks, oil and foreign currency. All the investments disappeared, the police added.