Thai police conducted raids on multiple targets in Chiang Rai Province, dismantling a large online gambling den known as "OK2D".
The den reportedly had a monthly income of up to 200 million baht and is suspected to be linked to the former chairman of the "White Elephant King" Nanpom Warriors Club, who was previously arrested for online gambling. This operation once again demonstrates the Thai police's determination and strength in combating online gambling.
The operation was led by a Major General, the commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCD), with the participation of senior inspectors from the Second Division, Fourth Investigation Division, and officers from the Royal Police Investigation Analysis Department.
The police searched four target locations in Chiang Rai Province and arrested a 23-year-old female suspect in a residence in the Ban Du area. It is reported that this woman was the administrator of the "OK2D" gambling website, mainly responsible for marketing, customer service, and problem-solving.
At the scene, the police seized 2 laptops, 1 iPad, 3 mobile phones, a barcode scanner, routers, and other equipment totaling 9 items. These devices were used to manage the website's operations and handle customer fund transactions.
The suspect confessed that she had been working on the "OK2D" website for over 5 months, receiving a monthly salary of 17,000 baht. Her job included answering customer inquiries and dealing with issues related to unsuccessful deposits or withdrawals.
Thai police had already launched a raid on the "OK2D" gambling website in December 2024, arresting a group of suspects at that time. However, investigations revealed that the website quickly dispersed to multiple locations in Chiang Rai Province and continued to operate secretly to evade authorities.
Further investigations found that "OK2D" had direct connections with a large online gambling website and was associated with a person known as "Boss Tar", who is the former chairman of the "White Elephant King" Nanpom Warriors Club, previously arrested for operating an online gambling platform.
According to the police, "OK2D" and its affiliated websites conducted illegal gambling activities in Chiang Rai and surrounding areas through a secretive branching model, with a stable customer base and a monthly income of up to 200 million baht.
The suspects are now charged with "organizing gambling or indirectly enticing others to gamble, directly or indirectly promoting gambling, and gambling through electronic media without permission". The police have transferred the suspects and seized items to the Ban Du Police Station for further legal proceedings and in-depth investigation.
Online gambling has become a significant issue in Thai society, not only causing substantial economic losses but also fostering cross-border crimes and money laundering. As online gambling dens often use high-tech means to hide and operate through dispersed models to evade crackdowns, law enforcement challenges continue to increase.
The Technology Crime Suppression Division emphasizes that the police will continue to intensify efforts to combat online gambling, trace the underlying financial flows and main operators, and aim to completely eradicate this criminal network. Meanwhile, the police call on the public to provide information to jointly combat the social scourge of online gambling.
As this operation progresses, the police plan to investigate more suspects related to the "OK2D" gambling network and may conduct more detailed interrogations of the core figure "Boss Tar" behind the scenes. The case is still under further review, and more details will be released in due course.
This operation by the Thai police indicates that in the face of the increasing rampant online gambling crimes, law enforcement will adopt stricter and more precise measures to combat them, in order to maintain social order and national economic security.
