Behind the cue: Rayong ‘snooker club’ gambles with the law
A recent operation in Rayong province uncovered a gambling setup disguised as a snooker club, leading to the arrest of 15 gamblers. Despite initial reports of political figures being involved, no evidence of such was found, and local police have not been reassigned.
Police Major General Phumint Singhhasut, the commander of Rayong Provincial Police, yesterday, March 17, addressed the incident involving a snooker establishment in Klaeng district.
The operation involved a raid by several special task force members, responding to reports of illegal gambling activities in a VIP room at the club. Upon arrival, authorities encountered numerous vehicles parked outside, suggesting significant activity inside.
Inside, more than 50 people were allegedly found engaged in activities like dice games and illegal boxing bets. However, further investigation revealed that only 15 people were directly involved in gambling.
These included eight people playing dice games and seven playing card games. The rest were determined to be there for snooker and thus released without charges.
There were early claims of local politicians participating in the gambling activities but no evidence was found to support these allegations. Additionally, investigations showed no misconduct by local police, leading to no personnel changes.
Despite the arrest of 15 people, members of the capture team expressed frustration over the apparent discrepancies, as they provided video evidence of the raid showing 50 gamblers, reported KhaoSod.
Residents near the gambling venue have reportedly known about the illicit activities for years, particularly bustling on weekends with cars lining the streets. However, police had not previously intervened.
In similar news, police raided a well-known condominium in Lat Phrao, Bangkok, and arrested members of a Chinese-led gang operating an online gambling site for two months.
During the operation, officers seized numerous items and uncovered millions of baht in cash flow. The suspects, who worked as website administrators, admitted to earning a monthly salary of 50,000 baht.
The raid, led by Police Major General Jesada Suaysom and Police Colonel Phonthep Chalermkiat, involved a team from Metropolitan Police Division 2, Tourist Police, and Immigration Police. The operation targeted illegal online gambling activities carried out by foreign nationals at the premises.
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