PATTAYA, THAILAND – Immigration police in a luxury condominium in central Pattaya arrested five Indian nationals suspected of running illegal offshore gambling websites from Thailand as part of a nationwide clampdown on unlawful work and online betting.
Luxury condo raid linked to national operation
The operation took place shortly after 6 p.m. in a high-end residential complex on Soi Thepprasit 17. It was led by Pol. Col. Naphatpong Khosit-suriyamanee, head of the Chonburi Immigration Bureau, and his deputy Pol. Lt. Col. Kawinwat Arayasuriwong.
In a second-floor unit, officers found five men seated at computer workstations. More than 20 mobile phones were laid out in rows on tables, which investigators viewed as evidence of coordinated online activity.
Electronics and financial records seized
Police seized extensive electronic equipment and financial documents during the search. According to official information, the haul included three laptops, 22 mobile phones, one tablet, several credit cards, and account books with records of money transfers worth several million Indian rupees, estimated at around 2 million baht.
Investigators said the documents clearly showed that the transfers had been used to top up gambling credits on online platforms. They noted that illegal online gambling had become a growing focus of law enforcement in Thailand and many other countries.
Suspects claimed to be customer service staff
According to police, the arrested men were identified as Shivam Shivam (29), Sandeep Kumar (24), Sakir Sakir (27), Kapil Kapil (24) and Gaurav Jaiswal (39). All five were described as reserved during initial questioning.
They claimed they were only working as customer service administrators and refused to give further details about their actual duties.
First charges for illegal work
The men were initially charged with illegal work. The specific allegation was “working without a work permit or engaging in an occupation outside the scope permitted by the visa” under Section 8 of the Foreign Employment Management Act B.E. 2560 (2017).
The suspects were to be transferred to Pattaya City Police Station for the preparation of further cases related to alleged online gambling offences. Investigators were examining whether their activities were directly linked to the seized transactions and accounts.
Part of wider crackdown on illegal employment
Authorities in Thailand were tightening nationwide controls on illegal work, visa overstays and online gambling. Investigators in Pattaya expected additional suspects to be identified as the probe continued.
The Immigration Bureau stated that inquiries were not yet complete and that more arrests were possible. Just one day before this raid, a larger operation in Pattaya had led to the arrest of 17 Indian nationals, 15 of them on suspicion of overstaying their visas and working illegally.