7-3-2024 (BANGKOK) In a coordinated operation, immigration police in Bangkok arrested 18 Vietnamese nationals for allegedly running an online gambling operation from a luxury house in the Rama IX area. The Immigration Bureau (IB) chief, Pol Lt Gen Ittiphol Itthisarnronchai, disclosed the details during a media conference on Thursday, stating that the suspects, consisting of 10 men and 8 women, were apprehended on charges of colluding in running an online gambling operation.
The IB investigators acted on a complaint, leading them to a suspicious luxury residence where a group of foreign nationals was suspected of conducting illegal online gambling activities. The raid uncovered a well-organized setup, with the first floor serving as a relaxation area and the second floor as accommodation. The lobby of the house was transformed into an online gambling operation room, equipped with 10 sets of computers and accessories.
Security camera footage revealed that the 18 Vietnamese nationals took shifts working on computers connected to various gambling websites. Following the arrests, the suspects admitted to working as administrators for gambling websites that operated 24/7. They disclosed that the mastermind behind the operation was also a Vietnamese national. Each member of the group received a monthly salary of 20,000 baht, along with commissions based on the online bets they encouraged gamblers to place.
The luxurious house had been rented since November of the previous year and was utilized as the operational hub for the online gambling venture. The arrested individuals, including Le Thi Kim Oanh, 20, were handed over to Hua Mak police station for further legal action. The seized items from the house, including computers and accessories, will be used as evidence in the case. The IB chief emphasized the commitment to combating illegal activities and urged public cooperation in reporting suspicious behavior to authorities.
