Police have arrested a Chinese gang that was allegedly tricking children into filming porn videos.

Officers were tipped off about the group which is said to have lured underage girls from neighbouring Laos into a holiday resort in Chiang Rai province in Thailand.

They raided the property and allegedly found the naked youngsters sprawled on mattresses while live-streaming sex shows to customers on the Chinese social media app Zhu Shou.

The girls were reportedly tricked into doing the lewd acts on camera, with recruiters promising them food, accommodation, and a daily payment of 1,700 THB (39.47 GBP) if they agree to have sex two to three times per day. They also allegedly had to pay a fee if they wanted to back out and return to Laos.

Police arrested the six Chinese nationals and remanded them in custody on May 26.

National police chief Lieutenant General Surachate Hakparn said the operation had been carried out by cyber crime specialists working with the regional police.

He said: 'The foreign offenders from China entered the country and abused children for profit. They will be prosecuted and deported.'

Communist China has invested heavily in Thailand and neighboring countries in Southeast Asia as it attempts to spread its power base and tap into new territory and resources.