The Department of Special Investigation's (DSI) special cases committee yesterday agreed to take up five new special cases, department chief Tarit Pengdith said.
One case involves a gang stealing cars in Nakhon Ratchasima to sell in neighbouring countries. The gang has networks both in Thailand and abroad, with the support of local influential figures, Mr Tarit said.
The committee also accepted a case in which a protected mangrove forest in tambon Takad-ngao in Chanthaburi's Tha Mai district has allegedly been encroached upon by a group of shrimp farming businessmen.
Mr Tarit said the businessmen are suspected of buying about 200 rai in the area for shrimp farming and changing the flow of public waterways to benefit their farms, causing severe damage to mangrove forests.
Another case involves a complaint against the chairman of Union Khlong Chan Cooperative and others who are accused of embezzling the cooperative's money, causing losses of more than 12 billion baht to its members.
The DSI also accepted a case relating to online gambling on 12 betting websites, with more than 500 million baht of betting money being transferred to the bookmakers' bank accounts.
Co-investors and bookmakers involved in the gambling racket are from China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Europe, Mr Tarit said.
There were also suspected instances of money laundering by transferring money to other accounts and changing bank accounts every six months to avoid a probe into their financial transactions, Mr Tarit said, adding that more than 1,000 of the gamblers were students.
They used ATMs near their educational institutes to transfer betting money into the accounts of the operators of online gambling websites, Mr Tarit said.
The last case involves a complaint against Win Process Co, a waste disposal company in Rayong's Muang district, which is accused of illegally dumping industrial waste in an area in Ban Khai district, causing pollution problems, Mr Tarit said.