Chon Buri: Thirteen Chinese nationals were arrested on charges of working illegally after they were found operating a call centre in a rented house in Bang Lamung district to collect debts in China.
Pol Maj Gen Surachate Hakparn, acting commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, said the arrests were made on Wednesday at two houses in tambon Nong Preu when police were investigating a tip-off about the group, which reportedly rarely left the premises.
After running checks, the police found the men had entered the country as tourists and applied for an extension of stay at the Chon Buri immigration office.
They lived together in the same house and paid a monthly rent of 20,000 baht.
Immigration police obtained a warrant to search the house on Wednesday and found the 13 men, aged between 18 and 40 years, working there.
Seized from the premises were 22 laptops and 28 mobile phones.
Pol Maj Gen Surachate said the suspects, who had 90-day visas to stay in the country, admitted they were hired by a loanshark syndicate in China to call debtors and demand them to repay debts they owed.
