Thread: Detention of first suspect in “Macau 888” online gambling case extended

A suspect allegedly connected with the “Macau 888” online gambling platform was escorted by police from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) to the Criminal Court today (Saturday), to get his detention extended, pending the results of investigations.


The 28-year-old suspect, Natthapong, who has been detained at Thung Song Hong police station since his arrest about a week ago, claimed that he was just a gambler and had nothing to do with the illegal online gambling operations.


He admitted, however, that he was he was addicted to gambling and had been gambling on a daily basis for almost 5 years, since his graduation from college.


His girlfriend defended her partner, saying that he has been under great stress since his arrest, adding that they are ready to cooperate fully with the police.


Natthapong is facing charges of money laundering and organising illegal online gambling.


CCIB police said that they will oppose any bail application, for fear that the suspect might attempt to abscond.

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/detenti...case-extended/

Macau888 Gambling King Brutally Abused Thai Actress

The Thai actress who made her ex-illicit boyfriend’s gambling habits public said she was physically assaulted by him when they were together.


On Sunday, January 5, “Due Arisara ” Thongborisut posted a Facebook article about her ex-boyfriend Chaiwat “Benz” Khajohnboonthaworn, alias Benz Daemon.


The 32-year-old woman stated that her ex and his three siblings ran macau888, an illicit online gambling business.

After she made her declaration on Facebook, the inquiry got underway. The police searched Benz’s residence in Bangkok’s Wattana neighborhood and his warehouse on Krungthep Kritha Road in the Saphan Sung neighborhood, but they could not find him.


According to reports, he took off for Taiwan before the police sweep.


The cops searched Benz and his brothers’ homes and took numerous priceless items.

The Immigration Department’s Deputy Inspector of the Royal Thai Police, Kunakorn “Bright” Khajohnboonthaworn, was questioned. Despite demonstrating his innocence, he ultimately quit and left his position.


The hunt for Benz and his brothers is still underway.


The Thai actress revealed the macau888 gaming website in a Facebook video that gave her justifications.


In the video, Due Arisara said that Benz and his family brutally, physically and mentally abused her for over two years of their relationship.


She alleged that Benz hit her in the head with boiling soup, leaving bleeding bruises and cuts and that his family was there but did nothing to stop the assault.


Due oArisara ffered photographic proof to back up her accusations.


Due Arisara said…

“At the time, I was too afraid and frail to speak up about the assault, but with my husband Sebastian Lee’s support, I feel ready to do so today.


I now have a lovely family and have learnt what true love is like, but it still aches every time I see a scar from that nightmare when I look in the mirror.


She received a lot of criticism and inquiries about why she decided to report the crime from online users.


Many people thought she sought money from Benz, while others said her husband’s unlawful business dealings were how he became wealthy.

Similar to the Chinese tourist case, one netizen posted a video of her spouse traveling in Bangkok while being escorted by special service police.


Due said that her husband was unsure about the legality of the service since a hotel in Bangkok provided it. She emphasized that her spouse has never engaged in an unlawful activity and would never do so.


She asked people to pay attention to the unlawful case she discovered rather than her spouse.


Due Arisara said that she would review the legal procedure for her assault case with her attorney since it occurred many years ago and would be challenging to process.


The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau’s Kritsana Phattanacharoen said the macau888 website was one of a network of seven associated sites and had a circulating value of almost 5.5 billion baht.


According to Kritsana, the police had issued 55 arrest warrants for people responsible for running the website, with 46 suspects being taken into custody and 12 others, including the leader, Benz, remaining at large.


To issue red warrants for offenders who left the country and seek assistance from the destination nations, the police would collaborate with the Royal Thai Police’s Foreign Affairs Division.


The authorities may interrogate the actress if they discover any evidence of her participation in the industry.

Macau888 Gambling King Brutally Abused Thai Actress

Police seek longer detention of alleged “Macau 888” kingpin


The key suspect in “Macau 888” online gambling operation, Chaiwat Kachornboonthaworn, was escorted by cyber police to the Criminal Court this morning (Wednesday), to seek approval for his further detention.


The 38-year-old suspect was questioned for about five hours, after he flew back to Bangkok from Hong Kong last night, and was immediately booked by the police and taken to the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIM), formerly known as the Technology Crime Suppression Bureau, for interrogation.


Chaiwat’s lawyer, Phisit Chutipornpongchai, told the media that he will apply for bail, although the police investigators in charge of the case say they will oppose his bail.


Chaiwat was charged with operating an online gambling website and money laundering, but he denied all the charges and vowed to fight the case in the court, said Phisit.


After questioning last night at the CCIB, Chaiwat was escorted to Thung Song Hong police station for detention.


CCIB Spokesman Pol Col Krisana Pattanacharoen said today that, besides Chaiwat, the court has issued warrants for the arrests of 54 other people who are also suspected of involvement in the “Macau 888” online gambling operations. They include computer programmers and those who opened “mule” bank accounts.


Regarding Chaiwat’s siblings and other family members, he said cyber police are still investigating and would seek arrest warrants if any of them are implicated.


Meanwhile, a team of CCIB officers, led by Pol Maj-Gen Wiwat Kamchamnan, CCIB deputy commissioner, was in Taiwan yesterday, to question Chaiwat’s former girlfriend, Arisara Thongborisut, who reportedly exposed the “Macau 888” illegal operations. The team returned to Bangkok today.


Police seek longer detention of alleged "Macau 888" kingpin | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world

3 more in custody in connection with “Macau 888” online gambling site

Police from Thailand’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) have taken two social media influencers and a rapper-cum-songwriter into custody for questioning about their alleged connections with the “Macau 888” online gambling website.


The CCIB raided two locations in Bangkok and a third in Pung Kone district of the north-eastern province of Sakhon Nakhon, where the three individuals were believed to staying.


Armed with a search warrant, the police entered a condominium in Bangkok’s Phahonyothin area, where social media influencer “Tanyakarn” is living. They found Tanyakarn and another woman in the room and allegedly discovered about five grams of ketamine.


Tanyakarn reportedly told the police that, in 2019, she was employed to do a music video promoting the “Macau 888” website, but she claimed the illicit drugs belong to her brother.


A Lamborghini super car was also found at the condominium and was impounded, after it was discovered that the license plate was fake. Police are looking for the car’s owner for questioning.


In the second raid, on a house in a housing estate in Thung Khru district, where “Mira”, another social media influencer, is staying, police seized a computer notebook and her smart phone for examination.


In the third raid, in Pung Kone district of Sakhon Nakhon Province, police searched the house of “Anuwat”, a rapper who wrote a song promoting the “Macau 888” website.


All three were escorted to CCIB head office for questioning, although no charges have yet been filed against them.

3 more in custody in connection with "Macau 888" online gambling site | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world