Chiang Rai couple arrested for illegal online lottery operation

Picture courtesy of KhaoSod

By Bright Choomanee

A couple from Chiang Rai has been apprehended by cyber police for operating an illegal online lottery and gambling website, with monthly financial transactions amounting to millions. They advertised their services via Facebook, leading to their eventual capture and subsequent legal proceedings.

Today, December 12, several high-ranking officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, including Trirong Phiwpan, Wiwat Khamchanan, and Chittipon Ponprueksa, alongside other officials, coordinated a successful operation.

They arrested 29 year old Supakorn, and Khwanjira at a residence in Wiang Phang Kham, Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai. The police confiscated several items, including computers, mobile phones, over 400,000 baht (US$11,824) in cash, and gold jewellery.

Komson Meepakdee, a senior officer involved in the operation, revealed that the investigation began after identifying illegal sales of the Laotian lottery online. The couple advertised through Facebook pages under the name Lao Lottery Set 4 Numbers and communicated with clients via page inboxes and LINE links.

This led investigators to Khwanjira’s location, which prompted them to conduct a raid where they found Supakorn managing customer inquiries and financial transactions related to online gambling.

Khwanjira confessed to selling lottery tickets through online channels and Facebook page advertisements. She indicated that many customers showed interest after seeing the ads, resulting in substantial monthly cash flow.

“We used social media ads to attract customers, which significantly increased our client base and monthly income.”

Supakorn, on the other hand, admitted to being the administrator of the online gambling website offering a variety of services such as casinos, lotteries, and online games. He now faces charges for organising gambling activities and illegally promoting such services through electronic media without official permission, reported KhaoSod.

“I managed the website and handled customer interactions, ensuring smooth operations for our online services,” Supakorn said.

Both individuals have been handed over to the Mae Sai Police Station for further legal action.