A significant cybercrime crackdown was carried out in Phuket, Thailand, resulting in the arrest of six individuals, including three Taiwanese nationals, linked to a complex online gambling and money laundering network. The operation was led by the Thailand Cybercrime Investigation Bureau (CCIB).
The case was publicly disclosed at a press conference at the CCIB headquarters. The operation, named "Chase the Island, Break the International Terror Capital," was spearheaded by CCIB Commander, Police Major General Trairong Phiwpaen, and other senior law enforcement officials.
According to the report from the Technical Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), the investigation uncovered a sophisticated financial network supporting illegal online gambling sites such as GoatBet178, Icb365, and Lavaslot777.
The criminal group developed a dedicated financial system, tsn7.yourpay, and a mobile application, Tsnupay, for rapid transfers, effectively concealing the traces of transactions.
Unlike the traditional "mule account" system that uses sequential transfers, this group dispersed funds instantly through multiple accounts, making detection more complex.
The suspects employed Thai nationals to create "mule accounts" and conducted facial scans to authorize transactions, paying a certain remuneration for each account and managing the flow of funds.
Police executed a search warrant at a luxury residence in the Koh Kaew area of Phuket and arrested six suspects: three Taiwanese responsible for system operations and three Thai accomplices in charge of account verification.
Items seized during the search include:
·119 mobile phones
·2 computers and accessories
·19 bank passbooks
·6 ecstasy pills (Class I narcotics)
·74.5 grams of ketamine (Class II narcotics)
The investigation revealed that the system processed approximately 10 million Thai Baht (about $293,586) daily. One of the Taiwanese suspects admitted to being employed by another Taiwanese to operate the system, with a monthly salary of 50,000 Thai Baht (about $1,470), working up to 24 hours a day.
Thai operators were paid 2,500 Thai Baht (about $73) per account and had a monthly salary of 20,000 Thai Baht (about $587) for facial verification work.
The suspects face multiple charges including operating an illegal electronic gambling network, money laundering, promoting illegal gambling services, and illegal possession of narcotics, confirmed by the CCIB.
The CCIB continues to analyze the evidence, particularly the seized mobile devices, to identify more accomplices, as reported by Phuket News.
Major General Trairong Phiwpaen stated, "This group represents a highly organized international money laundering operation aimed at concealing criminal proceeds from online gambling. We are actively pursuing more suspects and expect further developments soon."
