Thai police bust illegal gambling ring, arrest two South Koreans

Rajashree Seal January 23, 2025

SiGMA news

Thai police bust illegal gambling ring, arrest two South Koreans

Thai Immigration Police have arrested two South Korean nationals for allegedly operating online gambling websites from a house in Udon Thani province. Upon receiving information about foreigners engaged in illegal activities, Immigration Bureau chief Pol Lt Gen Panumart Boonyalak led a joint operation of immigration and local police to search the house in tambon Ban Lueam, Muang district.

During the search of the property, the police arrested the duo managing online gambling operations and server systems. They also seized computers and other equipment linked to the gambling operations. All confiscated items and the suspects were handed over to Muang Udon Thani police for legal action.

As per local media reports, the suspects were running websites such as Vinus Gaming Services and 100d-1, which are South Korean online gambling platforms that operate globally. The sites reportedly generated around $2.79 million monthly revenue.

An official of the immigration division 4 said that the duo had entered Thailand as tourists and then used Udon Thani as their base. They also admitted to receiving monthly salaries of 80,000–100,000 baht ($2,250–$2,810) each.

He further said that during questioning the two suspects admitted to being an IT team for the illegal websites. They also handled operations for other gaming websites, supported gamblers making monetary transactions and marketed the websites to gamblers in South Korea, Thailand and other countries.

The suspects now face charges for working without proper permits as foreigners, said officials. Authorities were also coordinating with the South Korean embassy.

The incident was reported at a time when Thailand is moving closer to legalising online gambling. By legalising online gambling, the government aims to boost the economy and eradicate illegal gambling activities.

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