25 Indians arrested for turning Pattaya villa into online gambling base
Police arrested 25 Indian nationals after conducting a raid on a villa in Pattaya that was converted into an operational base for three online gambling websites, with more than 700 million baht circulated through the platforms.
Officers from Immigration Division 3 raided the villa in Soi Nong Mai Kaen 19 yesterday, March 24, following a tip-off that the property was being used to run illegal online gambling.
Police said the villa had tight security, with the front gate covered by thick sunshades to block outsiders from seeing inside. Officers reported that the garage was renovated into an office with darkened windows.
Police forced entry into the converted garage and found 25 Indian nationals seated at laptops, according to investigators. Officers also found an electricity generator and frozen food supplies, which were intended to reduce the need for the group to leave the property and attract attention from neighbours.
Police said the suspects admitted working as marketing staff, administrators and finance officers for three gambling websites. Investigators said the websites’ names ended with “777” and claimed the operation generated about 5.6 million rupees per day, or about 700 million baht per year.
Officers seized laptops, mobile phones and other equipment as evidence. Police said all 25 held tourist visas and did not have work permits.
The suspects were charged under Section 8 of the Foreign Workers Management Act for working without permits or working outside the scope of permitted work. Police said the penalty includes a fine of 5,000 to 50,000 baht, deportation and a two-year ban on applying for a work permit in Thailand.
The arrests follow other recent cases involving Indian nationals in Pattaya. In November last year, five Indian nationals were arrested over an online gambling operation in a Pattaya condominium.
In December last year, 19 Indian nationals were arrested in Pattaya after being accused of running an illegal online business selling sexual enhancement products and sex toys.
In February this year, two Indian men were arrested after an Indian woman filed a complaint alleging she was forced into prostitution on Pattaya Beach. She said the men lured her with a promise of a high-paying job and travel to Pattaya, then blackmailed her with nude photos and forced her into sex work.
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