In a major cybercrime bust, police from the Action Taskforce for Information Technology Crime Suppression (Tactics) have arrested three men for operating online gambling on nine websites and seized about 75 million baht worth of assets, Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk, commissioner-general of the Royal Thai Police Office, said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Also present at the briefing were Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapat, deputy police chief in his capacity as Tactics director, and Pol Maj Gen Jirapat Phumichit, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau.
Pol Gen Suwat identified the three as Taentai Narongkul, 24, Nathawut Kaewsongsi, 27, Thanapol Narongkul, 26, and Pichanan Suwanno, 28.
They were arrested from Don Muang area in Bangkok and Rayong province. Their head office was in Pathum Thani.
The four were arrested under a Criminal Court's warrant, dated Oct 9, and charged with tricking people through advertisements through direct or indirect contacts to gamble on the internet and with money-laundering.
Police also seized over 75 million baht worth of assets for examination. They included 1-million-baht cash, 11 luxury cars, including a Porsche Carrera S Coupe, a Nissan GTR, a Mercedes Benz C43 and a Toyota Alphard, watches, ornaments, 50 bank deposit passbooks, 26 sets of computers, 108 mobile phones and two handguns — a Colt .45 and a BUL Armory SAS-2. All belonged to Taentai, one of the suspects.
Evidence gathered prior to their arrests showed they operated online gambling on nine websites. They were www.sagame1688.com, www.sagame66.com, www.sexygame1668.com, www.ufa191.com, www.slot007.com, www.ssgame66.com, www.juad88.com, sexygame66.com, and www.sa168vip.com. A total of 15 billion baht was in circulation over the past six months.
The suspects placed advertisements to invite gamblers on 20 websites providing free pirate movies, YouTube, Facebook and some pornographic websites.
Pol Gen Suwat said Taentai admitted the nine websites belonged to him. All suspects were his relatives and close associates.
He said the police alone could not close down the websites and had to seek help from other agencies since most of the severs were outside the country.
Police will expand the investigation to find more accomplices and seize more assets.