Four arrested in 'Big Jack 777' loan shark gang charging astronomical 3,000% annual interest rates
Police arrested four members of the "Big Jack 777" loan shark gang operating through Line and Facebook, charging borrowers up to 3,000% annual interest and using intimidation tactics including threatening home visits. The Bangkok-based oper
On May 24, 2025, police under the command of Pol. Maj. Gen. Tatsaphumi Charupratya, head of the Police Central Investigation Bureau's Anti-Loan Sharking Division, directed officers to arrest Thanaphat (19), Wanchai (28), Kittipong (44), and Rathaphoomi (19) on charges of operating an unlicensed personal lending business and charging interest rates exceeding legal limits.
The investigation began in early May when the Anti-Loan Sharking Center received complaints about an operation running through a Line application account called "Big Jack 777" that charged excessive interest and intimidated borrowers. Evidence collected at a townhouse in Bangkok's Min Buri district included 12 mobile phones, computers, tablets, 71 business cards, 17 loan agreement documents, and two motorcycle helmets.
Victims primarily discovered the loans through a Facebook page before contacting the Line account. Most borrowers were small business owners facing cash flow problems with limited access to formal lending. The approval process was simple—requiring no identity verification or guarantor—with cash delivered directly to borrowers' homes.
Interest rates started at 20% per 24 days, equating to 626% annually, but later increased to 3,000% per year. When borrowers couldn't pay, the gang sent intimidators wearing motorcycle helmets to write threatening messages on homes and workplaces, scattering flyers and shouting the borrower's name to create fear.
Investigators found the gang had approximately 50-60 borrowers with over 10 million baht in circulation. Officers recovered videos showing gang members training new recruits in debt collection tactics and distributing flyers throughout Min Buri and nearby areas at night. All four suspects confessed to the charges. Thanaphat handled client communications while the others distributed flyers and conducted debt collection. Police are pursuing the larger financial backers behind the operation.
