Police nabbed 4,700 for World Cup gambling, seized B35m

Police nabbed 4,700 for World Cup gambling, seized B35m

Deputy national police chief Chalermkiat Srivorakhan, centre, briefs the media in early June on measures to tackle illegal football gambling during the World Cup. (file photo by Apichart Jinakul)
Deputy national police chief Chalermkiat Srivorakhan, centre, briefs the media in early June on measures to tackle illegal football gambling during the World Cup. (file photo by Apichart Jinakul)

Police arrested 4,700 people and seized bank accounts holding more than 35 million baht during a month of raids to suppress illegal betting on the 2018 World Cup tournament that concluded on Sunday night.

Pol Maj Gen Phanurat Lakboon, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said almost 200,000 baht in cash was also seized.

According to the deputy commissioner, there were no minors among the suspects, Thai media reported.

Police confiscated betting slips showing cash flow of almost 1.4 million baht and ordered a freeze of 147 bank accounts with deposits of 35 million baht for further examination by the Anti-Money Laundering Office, he said.

Pol Maj Gen Phanurat on Sunday night led a team of police on an inspection of Khao San area for evidence of gambling before the final between France and Croatia.

He then announced the closure of the centre for the suppression of illegal football gambling set up for the World Cup, but said the MPB would not end its efforts to stamp out football betting.

City police would now step up surveillance of likely targets in the belief some punters may be tempted to steal to pay off losing bets, with gold shops and convenience stores seen as especially vulnerable.

So far, police had found no major crime linked to gambling during the football world championship, he said.

Out of 37 celebrities and online beauty presenters summonsed for questioning for allegedly promoting football gambling, 34 had reported to police to acknowledge charges, he said.

Another batch of 20 would be summonsed to meetings with police on July 26, and face the charge of violating Section 12 of the act on illegal gambling.

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