Thailand's police raid illegal casino in Pattaya
The Thai police continue to crack down on illegal gambling. The police struck in the seaside resort of Pattaya on Saturday. There the officers searched an illegal casino and arrested 21 suspects who allegedly gambled illegally.
As reported by the Thai media, the strike occurred on Saturday night around 1 a.m. The officials searched several accommodations at the Espana Condominium & Resort resort located near the sea. The action was preceded by an anonymous tip that pointed to the illegal casino.
21 suspects in custody
The police picked up and arrested a total of 21 suspicious people in two apartments. The arrested are said to include 5 Thais, 14 Chinese and one person each from Cambodia and Singapore.
It was found that five of the Chinese had expired visas for their stay in Thailand. In addition, the Cambodian entered the country illegally. The people would now have to stay in jail until the investigation was completed and charges were brought against them.
Most of the time, gambling is illegal in Thailand. The only exceptions are lotteries and horse racing bets. In order to reduce the risk of illegal card games, the 1935 Gambling Act also prohibits Thais from possessing more than 120 playing cards.
In addition, the investigators in the accommodations had come across a considerable amount of evidence. The officials had secured, among other things, gaming tables and cards as well as gaming chips and cash. Now the police are concentrating on identifying the backers who organized the illegal gambling.
Illegal gambling as a super spreader?
A police spokesman emphasized that the raid was in connection with intensified efforts to contain the corona pandemic, which is also rampant in Thailand. The responsible government representatives had declared illegal gambling to be one of the most important causes of the spread of the virus.
The reason for this is the comparatively high mobility of the players. As soon as an illegal establishment was closed, they would simply visit the nearest gambling establishment, the police said. Distance and hygiene rules are disregarded, which means that the virus is spreading in a criminally negligent manner.