Thai police detain 21 Koreans; seize dozens of devices in suspected loan shark den. PATTAYA, Thailand – A luxury pool villa in Naklua, Banglamung District, was stormed by over 50 Thai police officers Saturday afternoon after a tip-off from the South Korean Embassy warned of a possible kidnapping involving one of its citizens. At approximately 2:30 PM, senior officers including Pol. Col. Songwut Chueaplakit (Tourist Police Division 2), Pol. Lt. Col. Torlarp Tinamat (Chief, Pattaya Tourist Police Station), led a multi-agency operation to surround and raid the two-story villa, which sits on a 90-square-wah plot (approx. 360 square meters) and is equipped with CCTV surveillance. As police entered, 21 South Korean men inside panicked and attempted to flee. One man leapt from the second floor and suffered serious injuries upon hitting the ground. Emergency responders transported him to a local hospital. Three other individuals tried to escape out the back of the property but were chased down and detained by officers. A search uncovered more than 30 desktop and laptop computers, over 40 mobile phones, and multiple high-powered internet routers. All equipment was seized, and forensic officers from Chonburi’s Region 2 Forensics Division were called in to collect DNA and fingerprint evidence. South Korean man injured jumping from second floor during raid on Pattaya villa. Pol. Lt. Col. Torlarp told reporters that the South Korean Embassy initially alerted authorities to a possible kidnapping at the villa. However, upon arrival, officers were met with mass panic and resistance. “Some ran, some jumped off the second floor,” he said. Preliminary questioning revealed the men claimed they were operating an illegal loan business targeting people in South Korea. The villa allegedly served as their operational headquarters, using internet-based calling systems such as TP-Link to contact clients. Officers are preparing to file charges of unlawful group activity, along with potential immigration offenses including overstaying visas and working without permits. Panic erupts as embassy tip leads to dramatic villa raid in Naklua. One local resident, a 26-year-old man living nearby who requested anonymity, told reporters that the villa had been rented for over four months by a group of Korean and Chinese nationals. “I often heard people arguing and sometimes screaming, like they were being tortured,” he said. “Today, one of them suddenly jumped over into my yard and ran for his life. Then the police arrived.” The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to verify each individual’s immigration status and determine the full extent of the operation. Locals say screams were heard for months—villa raid uncovers underground operation.