Ex-boxing champ arrested for running 100-million-baht gambling site
Cyber police arrest former boxing champion “Puenkon Tor Surat” for running illegal online gambling network earning over 100 million baht in three years.
The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), led by Pol Maj Gen Chatchapandhakan Klaiklueng, deputy CCIB commissioner, announced on Tuesday the arrest of a former boxing champion and his network in a major operation codenamed “Knock Out 100-Million Gambling Website.”
According to investigators, the CCIB’s intelligence and special tools division had traced suspicious financial transactions linked to the online gambling network “g2g69bet,” which recorded an annual turnover exceeding 100 million baht.
The probe revealed that one of the site’s key administrators was a former Muay Thai champion, prompting officers to seek court warrants to arrest those involved.
Police executed simultaneous raids at nine locations, including residences in Saen Suk, Chonburi, and Lamphun province. Eight suspects were apprehended, along with multiple items of evidence, including ATM cards, mobile phones, bank books, and computers.
Among those arrested in Chonburi were:
- Weerapong, alias “Puenkon Tor Surat,” a former Muay Thai champion.
- Prawit, 27, a site administrator and cash handler.
- Thawatchai, 37, responsible for outgoing fund accounts.
- Mutita, 22, responsible for incoming fund accounts.
- Phanumas, 31, an account holder and cash handler.
- Kriangkrai, 36, responsible for managing and withdrawing funds.
Two additional suspects were caught in Lamphun:
- Nareerak, 30
- Neramit, 23, a site administrator linked to multiple gambling platforms.
The group faces charges of jointly organising or promoting illegal gambling through electronic media without authorisation and money laundering. All suspects and seized assets were handed over to investigators for further legal action.
During questioning, Weerapong admitted he had been operating the site for over three years. Initially started as a side job, it later became his main source of income after his boxing career slowed.
Weerapong was once a top Muay Thai fighter, holding the Super Flyweight 115-pound championship title and winning Best Boxer of the Year 2016 as well as the Outstanding Male Muay Thai Fighter Award on National Muay Thai Day the same year.
Chatchapandhakan warned that even if claimed to be extra income, running or aiding online gambling sites is a criminal offence. He added that cyber police will continue to track down everyone involved — from mule account holders and administrators to masterminds — to eradicate online crime networks.
