Undercover operation hits Jackpot: 50 busted in illegal gambling den in northern Thailand

A high-stakes illegal gambling den, operating for nearly two months in the heart of Rom Klao’s bustling Kriangkrai Market, was stormed by a special operation team from the Department of Provincial Administration (DPA) yesterday. The crackdown at about 5pm yesterday, September 28, resulted in the arrest of 50 gamblers and 17 gambling organisers.

The fallout from the illegal gambling den raid was immediate and reached the highest echelons of the Rom Klao Police Station. The top five officers in charge of the district, who had jurisdiction over the area where the illegal activities were taking place, have been abruptly transferred.

Pending an investigation, they will now serve temporary duty at the operations centre of the Metropolitan Police Division 3 headquarters.

The officers whose careers have been affected include the station’s superintendent, his deputy, the crime suppression inspector, the investigation inspector, and the patrol and suppression inspector.

The transfer orders were signed by Police Major General Saravut Jindakham, the Metropolitan Police Division 3 commander, reported Bangkok Post.

The operation, which involved around 40 officials and territorial defence volunteers, was spearheaded by Narong Thipsiri, the acting director of the DPA’s law enforcement centre. It was initiated following complaints lodged by residents with the Interior Ministry’s Damrongtham Centre about the ongoing illegal activities in the area.

The gambling den, situated on the ground floor of a two-storey commercial building, hosted hi-lo games and had been operating for about two months. The arrested gamblers and gambling organisers were handed over to Rom Klao police for further legal proceedings.

The incident underscores the police’s failure to combat illegal gambling activities within their jurisdiction, leading to their punitive transfer. The investigation into the matter is ongoing, with a focus on establishing any possible links between the gambling den and the transferred officers.

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