Warrants for police over links to online gambling
Arrest warrants have been issued for three suspects, including two police, in connection with an online gambling organisation allegedly run by an Indian businessman with ties to ousted crime-buster Lt General Pongpat Chayaphan.
Pongpat, former commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, and his then deputy Pol Maj-General Kowit Wongrungroj were charged on Saturday for their alleged roles in the gambling operation run by Abubakar bin Sulaiman, National Police spokesman Lt-General Prawut Thawornsiri said yesterday.
Pongpat and Kowit are in custody at the Bangkok Remand Prison.
The Abubakar operation reaped around Bt100 million from Thai punters through online betting, and police have found that Pongpat and Kowit had benefited from it, he said.
The three other suspects were identified as Pol Colonel Worraphoj Pheutphol, Pol Lt-Colonel Songsak Khunsri and Withoon Trakarnphruek.
Pongpat reportedly led police in 2009 to arrest an Indian businessman in 2009 accused of involvement in an online gambling organisation with turnover of billions of baht.
Pongpat, then commander of the Crime Suppression Division, arrested property developer Karan Singh Thakral at a luxury condominium on Thong Lor Soi 3. Thakral was then charged with hosting Internet football gambling.
Pongpat, speaking in a press interview, said Thakral, 39, was part of the online gambling network of Abubakar bin Sulaiman.
The network’s turnover is alleged to be more than Bt3.2 billion, with police suspecting that the enterprise was also involved in more unspecified illicit businesses.
