Immigration police arrested three Westerners for running a business on Koh Samui without work permits recently.

Taken into custody were Swiss Bernard Edmond Junet, 69; British Dianne Serla Virks, 58; and German Carmen Dailn, 51.

The three, police said, worked for S.T. Owner Management, which collects payments for power, water and other utility bills from residents of the Santi Thani housing project in Maenam.

Police were told about the work status of the three after they ran into some conflict with Santi Thani allegedly involving collection discrepancies.

According to information gathered by the police, the three, said to be longtime residents of the island, also worked as property agents, selling residential units on the side.

All three were released after paying fines, a local Thai newspaper said.

Police said the three also figured in a conflict with some shareholders of a property project they had invested in. The wife of one of these shareholders ended up murdered and police are checking whether the killing had any connection to the conflict.

Police Lt. Col. Vatchaphong Praipan, chief of investigation of the Koh Samui Police, said they were also looking closely at the activities of the three on the island.