Own goal: Chiang Mai authorities tackle covert football betting operation
A covert football betting operation was raided in Chiang Mai, with police seizing betting slips, cash, and computers. The operation was discovered in a nondescript terraced building near Tonpao Plaza, Tonpao subdistrict, San Kamphaeng district. One suspect was apprehended, who had a previous criminal record for the same offence.
The raid on the illegal operation was led by the special operations team from the San Kamphaeng District Administration and members of the territorial defence volunteers of San Kamphaeng. The team, led by Police Captain Nathaphon Janmano, the Police Station Chief of San Kamphaeng, found computers for customers to place bets, football betting slips, and a significant amount of cash.
The police, tipped off about illegal football betting happening in the area of Tonpao, San Kamphaeng, coordinated a police investigation. They found a closed-up terraced building, which would have appeared inconspicuous if not for the frequent coming and going of young people.
They then staged an undercover check, which resulted in the arrest of a suspect within the building where football betting was taking place. They found a large number of football betting slips, a sum of cash, four computers, one suspect, and a FIFA 17 network betting system.
The police reported that the operator of this gambling ring had previously been arrested once in 2022, but continued to covertly run the operation, resulting in his current arrest. The seized items were handed over to the San Kamphaeng Police Station for further investigation, reported KhaoSod.
Phinyo Puasriphan, the District Chief Officer of San Kamphaeng, stated that according to the policy of the Ministry of Interior, special task forces were established in every district and province to organise society, scrutinise potential illegal activities, and intensify inspections of all service establishments.
Checkpoints and blockades
This includes influential groups in the area, with checkpoints and blockades to prevent illegal activities such as drug trafficking, human smuggling, gambling, and firearms. The kick-off for this nationwide operation began on November 1, and today, Chiang Mai province has launched the operation, with Nirat Pongsitthavorn, the Governor of Chiang Mai province, presiding over the opening ceremony.
This increased intensity follows the societal organisation policy and crackdown on influential people in the area of Chiang Mai province, under the policy of the Ministry of Interior, led by Anutin Charnvirakul, the Minister of Interior, Suttipong Chulcharoen, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, and Ansit Samphantharat, the Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration.
The province of Chiang Mai, led by Governor Nirat Pongsitthavorn, has a policy to organise society and suppress influential people, particularly focusing on six major issues, according to the policy of the Minister of Interior. These include the crackdown on drugs, human trafficking, possession and carrying of firearms, gambling, monitoring and surveillance of influential people, and the intensification of inspections of service establishments and entertainment venues.
These six issues are national security problems that affect people of all social statuses. San Kamphaeng district has therefore accelerated its operations, coordinating work with security agencies to organise society, prevent and suppress influential people and undesirable activities by setting up checkpoints, blockades against illegal items, conducting inspections, having mechanisms for tracking, investigating, arresting, and prosecuting offenders quickly and effectively, and strictly enforcing the law against violators immediately.
