Thai police arrested two Cambodian men in Yala County, Sa Kaeo Province, accusing them of involvement in an international online gambling and money laundering network, with over 1.05 million Thai Baht in cash and several fake bank cards seized at the scene.
According to the National Newspaper, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) conducted the arrest in front of an ATM after receiving intelligence, finding two Cambodian men frequently withdrawing money using multiple ATM cards. At the scene, police confiscated 18 bank cards registered under different names, along with more than 1.05 million Thai Baht (approximately $28,600) in cash.
The investigation revealed that these two men were employed by an illegal gambling organization active in Southeast Asia, specifically tasked with extracting gambling funds from online gambling platforms. It is reported that the group uses these withdrawal channels to launder money and frequently changes "withdrawers" to evade detection.
The police noted that this operation mode is similar to previously exposed criminal call center gangs, suspected of recruiting low-level members in Cambodia to infiltrate Thailand for financial withdrawals, money laundering, and other "ground operations."
In this operation, law enforcement also seized mobile phones, documents, and a bag used for hiding items. The two suspects have admitted that their withdrawal activities were employed by others, and the bank cards they held were not their own.
Currently, the police are expanding the scope of the investigation to trace the masterminds and the flow of funds. Preliminary estimates suggest that this criminal network may involve several million Thai Baht per month, with more suspects expected to be arrested progressively.
