BANGKOK — A drug raid in Bangkok led police to an unexpected discovery: a Chinese syndicate running a cross-border online gambling operation out of a condominium in the capital’s Din Daeng district.
Bangkok metropolitan anti-narcotics officers and the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) executed a court-approved search warrant on November 13 after receiving a hotline tip that Chinese nationals were using drugs and refusing to open their door in nearby Huai Khwang district. No drugs were found, but four foreign nationals — three Chinese and one Myanmar citizen — were arrested.
Police identified them as Youngzhao, 28; Li, 29; Jianquan, 27; and Maw Htay, 27. All tested negative for drugs. Instead, officers found four laptops with Chinese-language browser tabs open and backend access to a major online gambling platform offering slots, sports betting and baccarat.
Investigators said the group had previously worked as backend administrators for gambling sites in Cambodia before shifting operations to Thailand. Police also seized 10 mobile phones containing operational data, an OTP authentication token, seven packs of untaxed cigarettes, and “cheat sheets” that outlined how to misuse student visas and avoid immigration checks.
The notes included scripted answers for visa interviews, warnings about immigration inspections, and instructions to hide SIM cards and devices. Officers also found a list of condominiums where gambling work was prohibited to avoid police detection.
The four were charged with operating an online gambling service without permission, possessing illegally imported excise goods and residing in Thailand unlawfully. All denied wrongdoing, telling police they were in Thailand to study the Thai language and travel — a claim authorities say contradicts evidence collected during the raid.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing and may widen to other young Chinese nationals believed to be involved in similar illicit activities.
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