Thai police bust illegal gambling ring right before World Cup

• 19 people were arrested by Thai police in an illegal betting sting tied to a website called Ole777.com
• Law enforcement suspect the group laundered proceeds in various ways
• It is unclear if the group’s ringleader is already detained or remains at large

Nearly two dozen individuals, suspected of being involved in a massive illegal gambling ring, were recently arrested, just ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

19 out of 30 suspects arrested

The criminal betting syndicate was taken down by the Thai police on Thursday, coinciding with the start of the World Cup, one of the most-anticipated sports events of the year.

Besides a major network related to illegal online gambling, the group is suspected of being involved in money laundering through cryptocurrency and mule accounts, a report from the local media outlet, Bangkok Post, suggests.

What’s known so far is that law enforcement identified a total of 30 suspects.

Of that total, 19 have been apprehended, with details regarding the raids coinciding with the launch of the Football Betting Suppression and Protection Center for the World Cup.

So far, at least one person involved in the illicit activities has admitted to receiving money in exchange for access to their bank account.

That’s the case for a young woman, who received 2,000 baht, or $62, to act as a mule-account holder since last year.

Further investigation into the unlawful activities of the betting syndicate uncovered that a website called Ole777.com generated a minimum of 1bn baht, or $30.5m in illicit gambling transactions.

While the investigation continues, law enforcement determined that the criminal syndicate used a range of methods to conceal the origin of the funds, including transfers in crypto.

Some of the suspects are facing charges for illegal gambling, while others are up against heavier charges for participating in an international criminal organization.

Law enforcement is still trying to determine who is the betting ring’s leader.

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