Police in Phuket reported yesterday that two men in other parts of Thailand have been arrested for allegedly operating an online gambling website. Police have now reportedly seized over 3.7 billion baht in cash. The police have now taken the website down. They also seized dozens of other items of evidence including three land title deeds and four contracts, eight mobile phones, two computers, and a car.
A lieutenant general from Tha Chatchai Police Station said the arrests follow an investigation of a Phuket gold shop robber in October last year. The robber seriously assaulted the shop owners, a husband and wife, hitting them on the head with a piece of wood. He bound their hands and feet with wire and threatened to beat the wife if they didn’t open the safe.
The robber had claimed he robbed the store due to his online gambling debts. Police then found the two man operating the website. The lieutenant general now urges the public to report people trying to lure them into online gambling to the Information Technology Crime Suppression Center. The centre can be reached at 1599 and their direct line 081-8663000. He added that gambling is deeply destructive to Thailand.
“…which intoxicates our youth and destroys our country’s economy”.
The man who robbed the gold shop is identified as Chai Aung. He is 26 years old. The two gambling operators recently arrested are Nirawat Chanthapuhn, and Somsak Cherntong. Their ages haven’t been reported. Nirawat was arrested in Chiang Rai province, and Somsak was arrested in Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
Last week, another gambling bust happened when Pattaya police arrested 10 people at a gambling party in the Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri province.
SOURCE: The Phuket News