Twenty Chinese people were arrested at a luxury pool villa in Chiang Mai on Thursday, suspected of operating scams targeting compatriots in China.
The suspects included 14 men and six women, one of whom broke her leg after jumping to the ground while trying to escape. At least 10 others managed to get away by jumping into the river and running into nearby woods, police said.
The detained suspects reportedly told police that their boss paid 120,000 baht a month to rent the 90-million-baht villa by the Ping River in Mae Rim and paid them salaries of 100,000 to 200,000 baht monthly.
Officers found about 100 mobile phones and Chinese SIM cards in the house. There were also surveillance cameras to monitor police activity, giving the suspects time to run.
Some of the suspects held student visas with admission registered at local universities. Others had entered the country with tourist visas, police said.
According to investigators, most of the scams involved an offer of life insurance, or a request to claim an undelivered parcel.
The victims, all Chinese nationals, were duped into transferring money to accounts controlled by the syndicate.
Police said the suspects worked for an established gang that had been raided twice in Hang Dong and Mae Rim districts in July. The network moved its operation to the villa two months ago.
