Police have arrested 13 people, including a couple who allegedly hosted an online gambling network targeting players in the lower Northeast, and impounded assets worth about 50 million baht in multiple raids in five provinces.
Pol Maj Gen Withaya Sriprasertparp, commander of the Crime Suppression Division (CSD), said yesterday that about 80 CSD policemen made the arrests and seized the assets in raids at 14 locations in Buri Ram, Chon Buri, Nakhon Nayok, Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchathani on Sunday.
According to the commander, the "Tee Yai 888" network, which is active in the lower Northeast, allegedly caused widespread criminal and social problems in the region, with many gamblers suffering losses as the suspects showed off their considerable wealth and assets, including luxury vehicles, online.
During the raids, police arrested Nithithiwat (surname withheld), 53, and his wife, Nawaporn, 30, who allegedly owned and ran the online gambling network.
The pair were apprehended at a villa in Pattaya while on vacation. Both confessed to charges relating to illegal gambling and money laundering.
The 11 other suspects were mule account owners, gambling website administrators and accountants from whom the police extracted 23 vehicles, 49 land title deeds and gold. Police also seized 30 bank accounts and 29 ATM cards for further examination.
The network had started in 2022, Pol Maj Gen Withaya said. After being busted in 2023, it later began to offer a wide range of activities, including gambling on football matches, baccarat and slot machines.
"The network laundered its revenue through many front companies, including construction and car rental firms," Pol Maj Gen Withaya said.
Pol Col Suriyasak Jirawat, the chief of CSD sub-division 3 who headed the raids, said over 600 million baht had moved through the network over the past two years.