NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: Almost 130 people were arrested, and about 1 million baht in assets seized during a raid on a gambling den in Muang district on Thursday evening.
Ansit Sampantarat, director-general of the Department of Provincial Administration (Dopa), made the raid order after authorities were tipped off about a gambling den in Soi Kru Somboon on Saphan Yao Road in Tambon Na Kian.
A Dopa special unit, led by department inspector-general Ronnarong Thipsiri, surrounded a warehouse with high walls. The team found the premises were heavily guarded by security personnel. More than 20 cars and 50 motorbikes were parked at the site.
During the raid, police arrested 120 suspected gamblers and seven alleged operators. They also seized some gambling paraphernalia and 279,005 baht in cash. Seven mobile phones and 800,000 baht in cash were also discovered inside a white Toyota Fortuner.
More than 1 million baht was found circulated in the network's bank account each day. All seized items were taken to Muang police for legal proceedings.
On Thursday night, all suspects were fingerprinted for an arrest record at the City Hall. At about 3am yesterday, all suspects were taken to Muang police before being released on bail due to insufficient space at the station.
Investigators will summon them for questing later before submitting a case summary to prosecutors to seek charges related to illegal gambling dens, police said. The gambling operators' bank accounts have been frozen. Police will subsequently work with the Anti-Money Laundering Office to investigate the transaction route.
Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Kittirat Phanphet has ordered Pol Lt Gen Surapong Thanomjit, the Provincial Police Region 8 commissioner, to launch an investigation to find out if local police were involved in the operation of the gambling den.