Several senior officials from the Thailand Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, including Trirong Phiwpan, Wiwat Khamchanan, and Chittipon Ponprueksa, along with other officials, coordinated this crackdown operation.
A couple from Chiang Rai were arrested by the cyber police for operating illegal online lottery and gambling websites, with monthly financial transactions amounting to millions of dollars. They promoted their services through Facebook, which eventually led to their arrest and subsequent legal proceedings.
The couple, 29-year-old Supakorn and Khwanjira, were arrested at their residence in Wiang Phang Kham, Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai. The police confiscated several items, including computers, mobile phones, over 400,000 Thai Baht (11,824 USD) in cash, and gold ornaments.
Senior official Komson Meepakdee revealed that the investigation began after discovering the illegal online sale of Laotian lottery tickets. The couple advertised under the name Lao Lottery Set 4 Numbers on their Facebook page and communicated with customers through the page's inbox and LINE links.
This led investigators to locate Khwanjira, prompting them to conduct a raid where they found Supakorn managing customer inquiries and financial transactions related to online gambling.
Khwanjira admitted to selling lottery tickets through online channels and advertising on the Facebook page. She stated that many customers showed interest after seeing the advertisements, resulting in a substantial monthly cash flow.
"We use social media advertising to attract customers, which has significantly increased our customer base and monthly income," she said.
On the other hand, Supakorn admitted to being the administrator of an online gambling website, offering various services such as casinos, lotteries, and online games. According to KhaoSod, he now faces charges of organizing gambling activities and illegally promoting such services through electronic media without official permission.
"I manage the website and handle customer interactions, ensuring our online services run smoothly," Supakorn said.
Both have been handed over to the Mae Sai Police Station, where the police will take further legal action against them.
