Greedy Loan Sharks Gouging Sattahip Singer

October 16, 2012

A country singer’s home was burglarized and trashed by loan sharks after the man failed to make daily 400 baht interest payments on a 20,000 baht loan. Besides destroying his property, the thieves stole a camera and a holy knife worth a total of 200,000 baht.

SATTAHIP – October 16, 2012 [PDN]: at 7 a.m., a report of loan sharks burglarizing a Sattahip home was received by Pol. Maj. Capt. Sinsamit Boontassana, detective officer, Sattahip police station. Police went to check the scene, a single-story wooden house at 212/1 Moo 8, Bang Sare, Sattahip, Chonburi.

Waiting for the police was the home’s occupant, standing in shock at the burglary. The victim was identified as Mr. Manop Bangpetch, age 46, a country singer. Mr. Manop told police that his house had been invaded the previous night by loan sharks while he was on an outing with his family. The “Black Helmet” loan shark gang had broken through his front door to gain entry, and then had destroyed his property and stole items.

Among the stolen items were a digital camera, and a holy knife of Luang Phor Derm, which were worth more than 200,000 baht. Police took photographs of the scene for evidence and asked the victim to give his testimony to record the incident at the police station.

Mr. Manop testified that about three months ago, his family was short of money. However, he had seen the name cards of a loan company stuck on many phone booths, which loaned money and charged daily interest.

The company was called the Kor Janjao capital company. So Mr. Manop called the number of the company at 081-9492816. The company sent two henchman, who had Mr. Manop sign a loan contract for 20,000 baht.

In return, Mr. Manop had to pay daily payments of 400 baht. However, these daily payments were only the interest payments, and did not apply to the principal amount of 20,000 baht that was borrowed. The contract said he had to send the daily payments for about 2 months.

So Mr. Manop made the interest payments until 2 days ago, and had already repaid the loan sharks about 30,000 baht. Then in the evening of the burglary, while Mr. Manop took his family to the annual entertainment fair of Sattahip temple, his neighbor called him to say that the loan sharks had come to his home. When they did not find him, they destroyed his property, and also took some items from his house.

At hearing the news, Mr. Manop and his family were afraid for their safety. So Mr. Manop took his family to stay in his relatives’ house, and then early the next morning he returned to his house at dawn to check the damages.

Police logged the victim’s testimony on the record books for evidence. Detectives were then assigned to follow up with the loan sharks to investigate further. If the suspects are found to have committed the crimes, police will prosecute them for a home invasion at night.