Thai Police Arrest Two for $13.2M Lottery Tickets Sales Fraud

Police authorities in Thailand arrested on Sunday two men for their involvement in an illegal lottery fraud operation amounting to Bt400 million ($13.2 million). Thossaphon Jitmaen and Yutthana Thongkham were apprehended from a house in Khoksamrong district of Lopburi province where the police also found Bt700,000 in cash and gold jewelry.

Tickets Paid but Not Delivered

Police in Lopbury acted upon a group complaint from more than 100 lottery ticket sellers in Surin, who claimed two distributors of lottery tickets had taken their money but failed to deliver the tickets for the October 16 and November 1 lottery draws.

The missing tickets are estimated to be worth Bt400 million as sellers had to pay Bt80 for each ticket, buying in batches of 500 tickets. One of the plaintiffs said the distributors delivered on time the first 4-5 lots, but in October went missing and sellers could not get into contact with them, despite having paid for the next lots.

“They delivered the first 4-5 lots on time, but in October we could no longer contact them despite already having given them the money. After their arrest, we have submitted an appeal to the police to deny them bail as they might get out and coerce the sellers.”

Plaintiff

The two suspects fled from Surin and hid into a house in Lopburi where they were apprehended and taken to Muang Lopburi Police Station for interrogation, Lopburi police said. During the interrogation, the men confessed to taking the money for the lottery tickets but argued the amount they received from the sellers was less that the alleged Bt400 million.

Series of Illegal Gambling Arrests in India

The Sunday arrest of the two lottery tickets fraudsters followed a series of arrests, which took place November 14, the night of Diwali, in several towns in India. Worried that gambling is a significant part of the Diwali rituals and that card clubs do not offer service during the Diwali period, police in Dharwad arrested 65 people, among which politicians, businessmen, hotel owners and even 4 constables.

In Kamareddy in Telangana state, local police apprehended 109 people in a separate bust on illegal gambling dens. In Nagaon, Dhubri and Kamrup districts, police made 30 arrests related to illegal gambling.

20 people were arrested in October in Gurugram for allegedly facilitating betting on the Indian Premier League games.