Thai Cyber Police nab 3 more suspects in macau888 case

Thai Cyber Police nabbed three more suspects in the case involving the macau888 gambling network. Officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) raided two spots in Bangkok, and one in the northeast province of Sakhon Nakhon, Thai PBS reported yesterday.

Police found two women in a room of a condominium in Bangkok’s Phahonyothin area. One of the women was social media influencer ‘Tanyakarn.’ The officers found Tanyakarn and another woman in a room where they discovered about 5 grammes of ketamine.

Tanyakarn reportedly told the police that, in 2019, she was hired to do a music video promoting the macau888 website. However, she claimed that the drugs belonged to her brother. The officers also seized a Lamborghini from the condominium, after finding that the license was fake. Police are now looking for the Lamborghini’s owner.

Police then raided a housing estate in Bangkok’s Thung Khru district. There, they arrested another social media influencer, ‘Mira.’ Police confiscated Mira’s smartphone and computer notebook.

During the third raid, in the Pung Kone district of Sakhon Nakhon Province, the police searched the house of “Anuwat”, a rapper who wrote a song promoting the “Macau 888” website.

All three suspects were escorted to the CCIB head office for questioning. No charges have been filed against them yet.

This news comes after another major development in the macau888 case.

Wanted alleged macau888 gambling kingpin Benz Daemon was finally arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport upon his return to Thailand on February 14. Chaiwat Kajornboonthavorn, aka “Benz Daemon,” was arrested and detained for interrogation at 9.30pm after arriving in Bangkok on a Thai Airways flight from Hong Kong. He denied the charges filed against him.

Benz was arrested under a warrant issued by the Criminal Court under suspicion of organising gambling, advertising gambling, directly and indirectly allowing others to engage in illegal games, and money laundering.

Gambling is illegal in Thailand, except for the state lottery and horse racing. Other forms of gambling, including casinos, sports betting, and online gambling, are prohibited by law.

However, illegal gambling remains prevalent in the country. The penalties for gambling offences in Thailand can be severe, including imprisonment and fines.

The government has periodically cracked down on illegal gambling, with recent efforts targeting online gambling sites and underground casinos. Despite these efforts, illegal gambling continues to be a major issue in Thailand.