Cyber police dismantled a major Hanoi lottery network in Prachuap Khiri Khan province that accepted bets through Line groups. They arrested the group admin along with partners and bookmakers. The network operated for over three years with an average annual turnover exceeding 180 million baht.
On 10 Sep 2024 GMT+7, Pol. Lt. Gen. Worawat Watnakhonbucha, Commander of the Cyber Crime Division, ordered Pol. Maj. Gen. Nipon Boonkerd, Commander of Division 2, and Pol. Col. Chakrit Srirorjanakoon, Chief of Division 2, along with deputies Pol. Lt. Col. Ekapon Kunyapong and Pol. Lt. Col. Kraiphon Saengdug, to lead an operation raiding three targets—two in Prachuap Khiri Khan province and one in Bangkok.
At the first location, with a search warrant from the Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Court, officers searched a house in Prachuap Khiri Khan Subdistrict, Mueang District, and arrested Mr. Polpisit, 35, a lottery bookmaker wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court on 3 Sep 2024 GMT+7. The second location, also with a Prachuap Khiri Khan court warrant, was a house on Maharaj Road in the same subdistrict and district, where Ms. Lalita, 30, the group admin, was arrested under a similar warrant dated 3 Sep 2024 GMT+7.
The third location, searched under a Criminal Court warrant, was a house on Watcharaphon Road, Khlong Thanon Subdistrict, Sai Mai District, Bangkok. Mrs. A (alias), 53, the homeowner and bookmaker, was arrested under a warrant dated 3 Sep 2024 GMT+7. Additionally, Mr. Bundit, 39, who operated mule bank accounts, was apprehended in Mueang District, Prachuap Khiri Khan province.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Worawat stated that following government policy to intensify cybercrime suppression, especially targeting online gambling websites, Division 2 investigators detected an online lottery network named "Pao Pao Shop." This network operated online foreign lottery gambling via a Line Official Account @168dudtj, offering various types of lottery games including Hanoi, Thai, and Lao lotteries. The network created 10 Line groups, each with about 100 clients. Most customers played the Hanoi lottery, the Vietnamese government lottery drawn three times daily at 17:15, 18:15, and 19:00. The payout rate ranged from 90 to 100 baht per 1 baht bet. Mr. Polpisit and Mrs. Wiphawi jointly operated as major online lottery bookmakers in Prachuap Khiri Khan for over three years, with an average annual turnover exceeding 180 million baht.
Authorities gathered evidence and obtained six arrest warrants from the Criminal Court for individuals involved in this gambling network; four suspects have been arrested, while two remain at large. The operation seized assets linked to the offenses, including Mercedes and Toyota Alphard vehicles, gold jewelry, land deeds, brand-name watches and bags, computers, laptops, mobile phones, bank passbooks, and other jewelry, totaling over 20 million baht in value.
Charges against the suspects include "collaborating to operate unauthorized online gambling and conspiracy involving two or more persons to commit money laundering," and the act of money laundering itself due to their collusion. They were detained along with seized assets and handed over to investigators of Division 2, Cyber Crime Division, for prosecution.