Thai Police Arrest Ex-Boxing Champ Turned Illegal Operator

The Thai police have arrested a boxing veteran who turned into an illegal gambling operator. The culprit’s scheme is believed to have generated more than 100 million baht ($3.1 million) in three years.

Thailand Bust an Illegal Gambling Scheme

Weerapong Unlamai, better known as Puenkon Tor Surat, is a prominent Muay Thai (also known as Thai boxing) fighter whose career saw him emerge victorious against many opponents. Boasting two Fighter of the Year awards for his performance in 2016 and the Super Flyweight 115-pound championship title for 2016, the former champion last fought in 2022, when he had a losing streak.

However, it seems that Puenkon Tor Surat has been active elsewhere, as the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) reported his arrest in relation to a major crackdown on illegal gambling.

The Knock Out 100-Million Gambling Website saw the CCIB, led by Pol Maj Gen Chatchapandhakan Klaiklueng, bust a scheme believed to have generated over 100 million baht in the past three years alone.

The CCIB caught wind of the illegal gambling network known as g2g69bet when it identified numerous suspicious online transactions. After investigating the matter, authorities learned that Puenkon Tor Surat was associated with the scheme, serving as one of its administrators.

Eight People Were Arrested

The police then obtained warrants to raid key locations related to the business and proceeded with simultaneous crackdowns on nine sites. These included residences in Saen Suk, Chonburi, and Lamphun provinces.

Reports say that eight suspects, including Puenkon Tor Surat, were arrested. At the same time, authorities seized multiple items, such as credit cards, bank books, mobile devices, and computers.

In addition to Puenkon Tor Surat, the police arrested five people in Chonburi. The other two arrestees were apprehended in Lamphun.

Everyone involved now faces charges of promoting illegal gambling via unauthorized media and money laundering.

When questioned by the police, Puenkon Tor Surat admitted that the illegal gambling scheme had been his main revenue source after his Muay Thai career slowed down.