DSI to summon Chonnapat in gambling, money-laundering case after 25 warrants approved

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) on Friday (March 6) announced progress in its crackdown on an online gambling and money-laundering network linked to a prominent politician.

The briefing followed action by the steering committee on the prevention and suppression of technology crime, chaired by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and the subcommittee on the suppression of technology crime, chaired by Justice Minister Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon Naowarat, with Pol Maj Yutthana Praedam, Director-General of the DSI, helping drive operations within the scope of the department’s legal authority.

The key objective is to prevent and address social problems caused by technology-related crime, with a strong focus on suppressing online gambling networks and gambling-related money laundering in all forms. 

The authorities are also integrating the use of special laws to accelerate legal action and ensure continuous, concrete results.

The case stems from the DSI’s 2023 investigation into Special Case No. 5/2023, involving the online gambling website “AK47MAX”. There were 36 suspects in total, of whom 24 have already been charged with jointly organising illegal gambling via electronic media, jointly laundering money, and jointly conspiring, as two or more persons, to commit money-laundering offences.

The remaining 12 suspects are still at large and are being tracked down.

As the investigation expanded into financial trails, the DSI found approximately 39 million baht in circulation linked to Chonnapat Naksua, a Klatham Party MP for Songkhla.

The DSI then widened its inquiry into those financial transactions and re-examined suspects who had previously been arrested. Investigators found that, although legal action had already been taken, some had continued engaging in similar conduct from 2025 up to the present.

Authorities found around 1 billion baht in circulating funds and identified five former suspects who had returned to commit further offences. The matter was therefore separated into Special Case No. 150/2025, and the DSI sought additional arrest warrants from the Criminal Court. The court approved a total of 25 warrants.

In Chonnapat’s case, investigators also requested an arrest warrant, but the court ordered that he be issued with a summons first.

Most recently, on Thursday, March 5, 2026, the DSI’s Bureau of Technology and Cyber Crime obtained search warrants from the Criminal Court and, together with relevant agencies, searched 10 target locations to gather evidence and pursue individuals named in the arrest warrants. 

The searches covered five locations in Songkhla, one in Pathum Thani, two in Nonthaburi and two in Bangkok.

The operation was divided into three main parts: searches to arrest suspects named in warrants, searches to gather evidence related to business operations, and searches to collect evidence of money laundering as a continuation of the original case, parts of which had already been pursued by the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO).

Investigators arrested one suspect, Nisarat (surname withheld), in Bangkok’s Din Daeng district. She was charged with jointly organising gambling or using schemes to lure, publicise, advertise or directly or indirectly persuade others to join unauthorised gambling, as well as jointly laundering money.

Investigators said they had found several pieces of evidence that could be linked to Chonnapat, including audio clips of conversations.

In addition, a search of Chonnapat’s residence in Songkhla uncovered chat records in an application allegedly related to online gambling and the manipulation of tax accounts. The messages also referred to Ray (surname withheld).

Investigators seized property assets, including structures built on land plots covered by title deeds, as well as nine branded handbags with a combined estimated value of about 10 million baht.

Further evidence was also found confirming Chonnapat’s possession and ownership of other assets. Another portion of assets, worth around 150 million baht, is under consideration by AMLO.

At the same time, checks on companies providing account-opening services found that the locations involved did not match the details previously declared in company registration documents.

As for suspects still evading arrest, the DSI Director-General has instructed the Surveillance and Intelligence Division to coordinate with relevant agencies to track down and arrest all of them.

The DSI has called on fugitive suspects to report to investigators as soon as possible so they can enter the justice process, be formally informed of the allegations, and clarify the facts for the ongoing investigation.

Pol Capt Khemachart Prakaihongmanee, Director of the Bureau of Technology and Cyber Crime, said investigators had petitioned the Criminal Court on February 27 for approval to issue 27 arrest warrants, including one for Chonnapat.

The court approved warrants for 25 people. For the remaining two, including Chonnapat, the court considered that they had fixed addresses and ordered that summonses be issued instead. Chonnapat has been ordered to report to investigators at 10am on March 12 at the DSI.

Asked whether Chonnapat remained in Thailand, Yutthana said investigators believed he was still in the country. However, as an MP, he may have certain parliamentary protections. He said the DSI had already sent the summons because, while Parliament is not in session, investigators still have the authority to proceed.

Asked whether Chonnapat could still be summoned if Parliament has reconvened by March 12, Rutthapon said it was not yet clear and that authorities would have to wait and see whether the parliamentary session had opened by then. He added that a summons period normally allows about seven days for preparation.

He said that if Chonnapat failed to appear on March 12, a second summons would have to be issued by March 19. However, if Parliament has opened and parliamentary protection applies to the investigation, authorities would have to continue the process until the session ends.

Asked whether funds from the network had been used in the most recent election, Rutthapon said he did not know. He added that, at this stage, there was no money trail linking the case to any other politicians.

“I confirm that this case is unrelated to any conflict between political parties. Action has been under way for some time, but the evidence was not yet complete, and the website administrator who was arrested had only recently returned from overseas,” Rutthapon said.