Six members of an alleged loan-sharking gang were were arrested in separate raids in Udon Thani on Wednesday.
A joint police-military squad captured Thawatchai Paengpeng and Wutthichai Daengna in tambon Ban Chan district following complaints that they were charging exorbitant interest rates and intimidating borrowers who failed to pay up daily, police said.
Officers took the two suspects to a rented room on Soi Nong Tu in Muang district, which allegedly served as the gang's office. Four more gang members were arrested there: Sanya Thongpa, Chatkaew Ormala, Padungsil Huaythaisong and Suthat Hommuangyoo.
Investigators seized loan contracts, 65,000 baht in cash, six mobile phones, 34 boxes of name cards, 29 ledgers, a car and four motorcycles.
Police said the suspects confessed they had worked for a loan shark in the Central Plains to providing illegal loans to customers, with a monthly interest rate of 20% for loans between 1,000 and 10,000 baht.
Police said each collector received a monthly salary of 7,000 baht. They were asked to collect at least 40,000 baht a day. Name cards were handed out to potential debtors in markets and villages. Those who wanted to borrow money had to give the gang copies of their ID cards and home registration and they had to sign a loan contract with one person acting as a loan guarantor. The suspects said they would ride motorcycles to collect debts plus interest from debtors. They were detained for further legal action.