Immigration police launched an operation to dismantle an Indian gang, arresting 25 suspects and seizing evidence after they rented a luxury pool villa in Pattaya to use as an office linked to three major gambling websites. It was found that the accounts had an annual turnover exceeding 700 million baht.
On 25 March 2026, Police Lieutenant General Phanumas Boonlakham, Commander of the Immigration Bureau, along with Police Major General Phanthana Nuchanart, Deputy Commander, and Police Major General Songprod Sirisukha, Commander of Immigration Division 3, ordered Police Colonel Suriya Puangsomboon, Superintendent of the Investigation Unit, to lead a team to raid a house in Soi Nong Mai Kaen 19, Nong Prue Subdistrict, Bang Lamung District, Chonburi Province. They arrested Mr. Nagendra Bathu, 24, an Indian national, along with 24 other Indian men.
They seized evidence including six laptops, 81 mobile phones, 100,000 baht in cash, 258,000 Vietnamese dong, and an undisclosed amount of Indian currency notes.
This followed information received by the investigation unit of Immigration Division 3 that a group of foreigners had rented the house to secretly operate a major online gambling base. Upon inspection, the target was a pool villa with tight security throughout the premises. The garage had been converted into a sealed glass office, with tarps covering doorways and fences to conceal the view from outsiders.
Before conducting the raid, officers found that the Indian suspects acted as marketing managers, accountants, and customer service administrators. The staff were confined inside the house at all times. They used generators and stored frozen food for meals inside to avoid leaving the property and attracting attention.
Data from the computers revealed links to three major gambling websites, with an average daily transaction volume of 5.6 million Indian rupees, equivalent to approximately 700 million baht annually. All suspects were on tourist visas and have been charged with "foreigners working without a work permit or working beyond the rights granted." They have been detained for legal proceedings.