Thailand: 30 arrested for alleged illegal gambling

Police arrested 30 suspects linked to an illegal gambling syndicate allegedly run by a fugitive police officer.

Thailand.- Police in Thailand have arrested 30 people linked to a suspected criminal network led by a fugitive police official. The news comes months after the police lieutenant Wasawat Mukurasakul, known as “Inspector Sua,” was accused of involvement in illicit activities, including illegal gambling.

According to CocoNuts, police carried out a series of raids at 39 locations across the country. Those arrested face accusations of operating a covert criminal organisation, running illegal gambling operations, and engaging in money laundering.

The national police chief, Damrongsak Kittiprapas, said the investigation into had been ongoing since February, initiated shortly after Chuwit Kamolvisit, an ex-politician turned anti-cannabis advocate, publicly exposed Mukurasakul as the alleged mastermind of an online gambling empire.

To date, 57 arrests have been made, accompanied by the seizure of assets worth THB7bn (US$206m). These assets include extensive land holdings, luxury vehicles, and significant cryptocurrency holdings. 

Last year, a project surfaced to legalise casinos in Thailand. A House committee proposed opening casinos to Thais and foreigners, but Thais would have to be at least 21 years old and have at least 500,000 baht in their bank accounts within the past six months.

The House Committee suggested Bangkok, the Eastern Economic Corridor, 22 tourist provinces and border provinces with immigration checkpoints as potential sites for casinos.