Chinese trio linked to online gambling arrested in Bangkok
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Chinese trio linked to online gambling arrested in Bangkok

Network had more than B2 million a day in turnover, say police

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Screenshot of the Lehu88 gambling website, one of the sites promoted by the suspects arrested in Bnagkok.
Screenshot of the Lehu88 gambling website, one of the sites promoted by the suspects arrested in Bnagkok.

Three Chinese men have been arrested in Bangkok for their alleged involvement in an online gambling network with more than 200,000 members and over 2 million baht a day in turnover.

Tourist Police officers arrested Wen Chong, 41; Peng Cheng, 24; and Po Hong, 31, in connection with the Dafabet gambling site during a raid on a luxury condominium in Huai Khwang district on Tuesday.

Authorities seized five computers, 11 mobile phones, 13 SIM cards, an OTP token (a hardware device that generates one-time passwords), 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition and a tiny amount of crystal methamphetamine.

The three suspects were renting the condo unit for 100,000 baht a month and living there despite having no apparent employment, raising suspicions that led to the investigation, said Pol Lt Gen Saksira Pheuk-am, commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau.

The online gambling network is reportedly owned by Chinese investors in a so-called grey business based in Cambodia. The first and third suspects, Wen and Po, are also wanted by the Chinese government.

The trio have been charged with operating gambling websites, possessing narcotics and possession of ammunition without permission. They were handed over to officers at the Huai Khwang station for legal action.

This operation was part of a police campaign to crack down on foreign nationals who are working illegally in Thailand, particularly those involved in gambling activities, Pol Lt Gen Saksira said.

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