Chonburi Immigration Police launched the "Sinsamut Suppresses the Black Dragon" operation, arresting a Chinese man wanted by an INTERPOL Red Notice at a luxury residence in Bang Lamung district, Chonburi. He was found to be involved in a multinational online gambling network with a turnover exceeding 1.5 billion baht.
On 16 Sep 2026, Pol. Lt. Gen. Panumas Boonyalak, Commander of the Immigration Police Bureau, along with Pol. Maj. Gen. Panthana Nuchanat, Deputy Commander, and Pol. Maj. Gen. Songprod Sirisukha, Commander of Immigration Division 3, ordered Pol. Col. Napasphong Khositsuriyamanee, Chief of Chonburi Immigration, and Pol. Lt. Col. Kittiphat Hongsuchewaet, Deputy Chief, together with Lt. Pol. Virat Pattathamwong and Lt. Pol. Jittiya Pipitgul, Deputy Deputies of Chonburi Immigration, to conduct the "Sinsamut Suppresses the Black Dragon" operation. They arrested Mr. Li Jianlu, 37, a Chinese national wanted by INTERPOL on charges of "organizing or operating a gambling den," under China's Criminal Law Article 303, punishable by up to 10 years' imprisonment.
Pol. Col. Prinya Klinkesorn, Deputy Commander of Immigration Division 3 and spokesperson, stated that the arrest followed intelligence from the Chonburi Immigration investigation team. They found that Mr. Li, a key suspect on the warrant, managed the agent system and finances of the multinational online gambling network. He was sought by Chinese authorities for involvement in online gambling operations in China. Between 1 Dec 2021 and 26 Aug 2022, he and associates established a group acting as agents recruiting Chinese players to foreign online gambling websites.
Investigations revealed the network recruited over 300 minor agents tasked with attracting more than 1,000 Chinese players into the online gambling system, with total transactions exceeding 300 million yuan, approximately 1.5 billion baht.
Mr. Li reportedly earned about 3 million yuan from these operations.
He was identified as a key member of the network responsible for coordinating with overseas gambling websites, managing gambling accounts, overseeing bettors' finances, and distributing commissions to members and agents within the network.
The Hebei District Prosecutor's Office in Tianjin approved an arrest warrant on 30 Apr 2024, followed by an INTERPOL Red Notice to facilitate Mr. Li's apprehension and prosecution. He fled China to evade charges.
Later, investigators traced Mr. Li's entry into Thailand on a tourist visa. He resided in a luxury home in a gated community in Nong Plalai subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, Chonburi. Authorities arrested him there, immediately revoked his permission to stay, and detained him pending extradition to Chinese authorities for legal proceedings.