16 suspected mule account solicitors for online gambling site arrested
The DSI has arrested 16 people accused of soliciting mule accounts for a major online gambling site linked to hackers who breached Thai government websites.
Officials from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) have arrested 16 people suspected of soliciting mule accounts for a large online gambling website linked to the hacking of government websites.
The DSI announced on Thursday that two additional suspects connected to the gambling network had been apprehended, bringing the total number of arrests to 16.
The two latest suspects were identified as Narinporn (surname withheld), 23, and Pacharadanai (surname withheld), 19. Both were arrested in Phuket.
In total, the DSI has targeted 23 individuals suspected of soliciting mule accounts for the unnamed online gambling platform. The suspects were identified after investigators examined more than 100 mule accounts linked to the website.
Website linked to government hacking
The DSI traced the gambling website after discovering links embedded in several government agency websites by unidentified hackers. However, the hackers responsible for breaching the government websites have yet to be identified or located.
According to the DSI, the hackers inserted links to the gambling website to create “backlinks” — a search engine optimisation technique aimed at boosting the gambling site’s ranking on Google.
There were also incidents in which the hackers replaced official government service links with those leading to the gambling website.
As a result, users attempting to access government services online were redirected to the gambling site instead.
Investigation into site operators continues
The DSI said the gambling website had a money circulation of around 20 billion baht.
Authorities are now expanding their investigation to identify the masterminds and other accomplices behind the operation, with the goal of dismantling the entire network.
