Thai cybercrime investigators have arrested the owners of two registered companies accused of helping an online gambling network launder more than THB100m (US$2.8m). The case centers on the “lalikabet168e” group, which police say operated an extensive illegal gambling platform that relied on corporate accounts to disguise financial flows.
According to Bangkok Post, the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) began probing the network after tracing suspicious transactions linked to the two companies. Pol Col Veekawin Sermsrithanachai, Chief of Sub-division 3, said investigators found that the businesses had no genuine commercial activity and had been established solely to open bank accounts for the purpose of moving gambling proceeds.
Police compiled a case file and secured arrest warrants from the Criminal Court. A team led by Pol Lt Col Saksit Thawaram later arrested a 43-year-old man, identified only as “Mr Phitsanu”, at a coffee shop on Charoen Nakhon Road in Bangkok. He is listed as the owner of a construction firm that police say existed only on paper.
A second suspect, “Mr Phitchayapa”, 27, registered as the owner of a wholesale cosmetics company, subsequently surrendered to authorities. Police said both men’s surnames were withheld pending further legal proceedings.
The pair now face multiple charges, including colluding in organizing or promoting illegal gambling, persuading others to gamble through electronic media, conspiring to commit money laundering, and laundering the proceeds of crime.
Authorities said the investigation into the broader network is ongoing, with efforts underway to identify additional accomplices and financial channels used by the group.
Using corporate structures to conceal gambling proceeds is an offense that carries significant penalties under Thai law
