The Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) will be asked to impound the assets of the chairman of Lamphun Warriors Football Club, who is accused of running an illegal online gambling website, say police investigating the case.
Pongsiri Thanratchawongsuek, alias "Boss Than", was nabbed in Phayao on Tuesday on an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court the same day.
Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phewpan, commissioner of the Royal Thai Police's Office of Legal Affairs and Litigation (OLAL), said police questioned Mr Pongsiri on Wednesday.
The investigators were keen to know what the suspect does for a living, the nature of his business and his sources of income. Evidence obtained so far suggested Mr Pongsiri had operated the illegal gambling website for quite some time, he said.
The Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) opened an investigation into the football club chairman six years ago. Between 2020-2021, the TCSD referred its investigation summary to the Police Cyber Taskforce (PCT), which took over the case.
Pol Lt Gen Trairong said the police were searching for two men who may have colluded with Mr Pongsiri on the gambling website. The PCT will also seek Amlo's help to impound Mr Pongsiri's assets suspected of having been obtained from gambling website activities.
However, Pol Lt Gen Trairong said the investigation will not affect the football club, saying it can organise football matches as planned. The commissioner added police will also determine if Mr Pongsiri's website is part of a larger online gambling network. He said many gambling websites operate under different names, but access is restricted to a few channels. The police have widened the investigation to see if Mr Pongsiri's younger brother is involved.