Police arrested 19 Indian nationals at a rented luxury house in Pattaya for allegedly running an illegal online business selling sexual enhancement drugs and sex toys.
The Immigration Bureau announced the arrests during a press conference held at its headquarters in the Mueang Thong Thani area of Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi province. The operation followed an investigation into suspicious foreign-run businesses in Chon Buri.
Deputy Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, Phanthana Nuchanart, said investigation teams from Immigration Division 3, together with Chon Buri Immigration Police, discovered that a group of foreign nationals had rented a luxury house in the Nong Prue sub-district of Bang Lamung district, Pattaya, and were using it as a base for illegal operations.
Further checks confirmed that all suspects were Indian nationals. Police found that the Indian group had been operating a website selling sexual enhancement drugs and sex toys without legal permission. The website had reportedly been active for about three months and attracted a large number of customers, particularly women.
After gathering sufficient evidence, police raided the property. At the scene, officers arrested 19 Indian suspects, including a 40 year old man identified as Sunil, who was believed to be the leader of the group.
During the search, officers seized a large amount of evidence including, six computers, 21 mobile phones, various sexual enhancement drugs, and numerous sex toy products.
During questioning, Sunil confessed that he and the other suspects had entered Thailand under the visa-free scheme. He claimed the business was owned by another Indian national named Manit, who currently lives in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
According to Sunil, he and the other suspects were paid around 9,000 baht per month for managing the website and delivering products to customers in Thailand.
Immigration officers charged all 19 suspects with multiple offences, including overstaying, working without a work permit, and operating a business while holding only temporary permission to stay in the Kingdom.
The suspects were taken to Nong Prue Police Station for further legal proceedings before being deported.
In a related case last week, two Indian brothers were arrested in Phuket after fleeing India following a deadly nightclub fire in Goa that killed 25 people, most of whom were employees. The brothers had promised to take responsibility for the victims but later escaped to Thailand. They were arrested shortly after arriving in Phuket.
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