Police storm major gambling hub as suspects trying to hurl devices from condo
Police stormed a major gambling hub as panicked suspects tried to hurl their devices from a condo in Thailand.
Cybercrime officers raided the eighth-floor condo unit following reports it was being used as an office for a large online gambling website in Chonburi.
During the operation, the alleged operators reportedly threw laptops from the building as they tried to destroy evidence. The hardware crashed onto cars below, shattering windscreens and leaving the street littered with computer parts.
Police detained the suspects and seized dozens of computers, laptops, mobile phones, and communication devices from the room.
Police Colonel Theerasak Osathanon, who led the raid, said the network had more than 50 million baht flowing through its accounts.
He added: ‘As the World Cup approaches, online gambling networks often exploit the tournament's popularity by advertising and persuading people to gamble through match predictions, score betting, individual match wagers, and various promotional offers.
‘These activities can lead to financial losses, debt, and family problems.
‘The World Cup should be about sport, not gambling.
‘We will continue to investigate, expand our findings, and suppress all forms of online gambling networks.'
Authorities said they were combing through digital evidence and financial records to identify the organisers and other members of the gambling network.
Most forms of gambling are illegal in Thailand, with only a few exceptions such as the state lottery and state-approved horse racing.
Online gambling is also illegal, and Thai police regularly block gambling websites and prosecute operators and players.
The government has previously discussed legalising casinos but gambling remains largely illegal.
