Six people have been arrested over their suspected links to two illegal gambling sites, which authorities believe are affiliated with a criminal organisation in Cambodia.
Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) commissioner, Pol Lt Gen Worawat Watnakhonbancha, said on Sunday the arrests followed an investigation into two websites, “mm.safa555.com” and “safa55game.com”, which police said were actively promoting online gambling.
Both sites have about 10,000 members, and about 10 million baht pass through both sites each month, he said.
After collecting enough evidence, CCIB investigators asked the Criminal Court to issue warrants for the arrest of 12 individuals. Officers were deployed to search four locations in Lop Buri and Nonthaburi on Saturday, where they managed to apprehend six individuals.
Five of the suspects, identified only as Thienchai, 34; Wechpisit, 26; Chitrapat, 27; Thitapa, 27; and Chaturaphat, 27, were arrested at a luxury house in Nonthaburi. According to investigators, they were responsible for managing bets.
Meanwhile, Yuranan, 36, was arrested at a house in Lop Buri’s Phatthana Nikhom district. He was managing bets placed in the area, investigators said.
During the operation, police confiscated assets worth over 60 million baht, including five computers, six firearms with 184 rounds of ammunition, four cars, foreign currencies worth 480,000 baht, 5.67 million baht in cash, gold bars and various jewelleries valued at over 3 million baht, 29 brand-name bags, six luxury watches, title deeds for a house and 12 condominiums, along with eight bank books, 13 debit cards and 19 mobile phones.
Pol Lt Gen Worawat also said that based on CCIB’s preliminary investigation, the gang enlisted the help of members’ relatives and close friends in Lop Buri — some of whom are well-known and have connections to local politicians — to conceal and launder proceeds from the sites. The police discovered evidence of money transfers between these individuals.
The group also allegedly laundered the proceeds through Art Toy store in Phatthana Nikhom district, which sells well-known and expensive dolls, like the limited edition “Molly” dolls, which cost between 40,000 and 50,000 baht each, he said.
Pol Lt Col Rojsak Naiphongsri, deputy chief of Cyber Crime Investigation Divison 3, said the gang started the sites more than 10 years ago after acquiring the right to run the sites from a criminal gang in Cambodia.
The police have charged the six individuals for operating a gambling site, directly and indirectly promoting gambling on their websites and money laundering.
Police will expand the investigation to see if there are more people involved in the illegal gambling operation, he said.