Thai police raid gambling den, seize assets over 1 million baht
A gambling den in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Muang district was raided on Thursday evening, resulting in the arrest of nearly 130 people and the seizure of assets worth approximately 1 million baht. The Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) executed the raid in Soi Kru Somboon, located on Saphan Yao Road in Tambon Na Kian, following a lead hinting at the existence of this illicit operation.
The raid was carried out by a special unit from DOPA, under the command of department inspector-general Ronnarong Thipsiri. They moved in on a well-guarded warehouse hidden behind high walls. The establishment’s significant security presence was further evidenced by over 20 cars and 50 motorbikes parked on the premises.
Authorities apprehended 120 individuals suspected of gambling and seven individuals believed to be the operators of the establishment during the raid. The police also seized gambling paraphernalia and cash totalling 279,005 baht from the site. Further exploration led to the discovery of seven mobile phones and an additional 800,000 baht in cash inside a white Toyota Fortuner.
The scale of the operation was further highlighted by the revelation that over 1 million baht circulated through the network’s bank account daily. All confiscated items were subsequently taken to the Muang police station for further legal proceedings.
Following the arrest, all suspects were fingerprinted for records at the City Hall. Around 3am the subsequent day, they were taken to the Mueang Police Station and later released on bail due to space constraints at the station.
Authorities will later summon the suspects for further questioning before presenting a case summary to prosecutors. The charges will be related to the operation of illegal gambling dens. In line with this, the operators’ bank accounts have been frozen by the police. A collaboration with the Anti-Money Laundering Office is in the pipeline to investigate the transaction route of the operation.
A separate investigation has been triggered by Deputy National Police Chief Police General Kittirat Phanphet into the potential involvement of local police in the operation of the gambling den. He has directed Pol. Lt. Gen Surapong Thanomjit, the Provincial Police Region 8 commissioner, to oversee this investigation, reported Bangkok Post.
