Loan gang paid with drugs
The Nation September 2, 2013 1:00 am
Ten young men caught on video breaking down a fence to enter the house of a loan shark customer and injuring two occupants in Sai Mai in Bangkok last Thursday told police they were paid with drugs and booze to collect debts.
Pol Lt Gen Camronwit Toopgrajank, chief of Metropolitan Police, told a press conference yesterday that the 10 suspects, including the 18-year-old alleged leader, had turned themselves in to Bang Khen police on Saturday night along with the Toyota Vigo pickup truck, Yamaha Spark motorcycle and some baseball clubs that they had used in the raid.
They were charged with trespassing at night, causing property damage, assaulting people and charging excessive loan rates.
The gang leader told police that he lent Bt20,000 to the sweets vendor at 20 per cent interest. The vendor agreed to repay him Bt1,000 per day for 24 days. After 11 days she negotiated him down to Bt500 a day, to which he agreed, but then she stopped after a few instalments. He got angry and attacked her relatives.
