BANGKOK – Cyber Police officers raided a Vietnamese online gambling operation that rented space inside a high-end condominium in the Rama 9 area. They detained 94 Vietnamese Nationals and seized dozens of computers plus nearly 500 mobile phones. So far, no one has admitted to being the leader.
At around 3:00 p.m. on March 4, police led by senior Bangkok officers, along with Makkasan Police, Immigration Police, and cybercrime investigators, carried out a search warrant at an office located inside a luxury condo in the Rama 9 neighborhood of Bangkok.
The raid followed complaints from residents. They reported seeing a large group of Vietnamese nationals working in the unit and feared it could be an illegal call center or another organized operation.
According to investigators, the office sat on the first floor and stayed tightly secured. The door remained locked, and guards monitored the entrance 24 hours a day. Officers also kept the location under surveillance for a period of time.
During that time, they saw only foreign workers entering and leaving, with shift changes of at least 20 people at a time. The office appeared to run around the clock.
Even the cleaning staff had limited access. They could only clean the front lobby area and could not enter the inner rooms of the office. Because of these signs, police requested a warrant and moved in.
Nearly 100 Vietnamese Nationals Found Inside
Inside the office, the Cyber Police found 94 Vietnamese workers, including 69 men and 25 women. Authorities seized 68 computers and laptops. In addition, they confiscated close to 500 mobile phones, including devices already in use and others that had not been activated.
On several computer screens still running during the raid, officers reportedly saw Vietnamese-language online gambling pages. The sites included casino-style games and soccer betting. Investigators also noticed displays showing money moving in and out of the accounts in Vietnamese đồng.
Based on early findings, police believe a Vietnam-based gambling website set up its working base in Thailand, focusing on Vietnamese customers. Officers also suspect the operation handled a significant cash flow.
Cyber Police said the office space was previously tied to a large private company that leased several shared areas inside the condominium. Later, that space was subleased. Investigators believe the Vietnamese group began renting the office earlier this year. Police are coordinating with the company to obtain more details about the rental chain.
A Suspect Says He Thought It Was Customer Service Work
One Vietnamese suspect, speaking through an interpreter, said he previously lived in Ho Chi Minh City and had recently graduated in music. He claimed he found a job listing online and was invited to work in customer service, with a promised salary of 30,000 baht per month.
He said he entered Thailand on a tourist visa with six Vietnamese friends. He also claimed he did not know the job involved online gambling until he arrived. He added that he was pressured to work and lived in housing around the Ratchada area.
Interviews with other suspects suggested the office ran on three shifts. During the raid, police detained workers from two shifts. Earlier, a vehicle had already picked up about 20 workers and taken them away.
Even so, no detainee has identified a supervisor or organizer. For now, police have filed charges related to organizing a criminal group and illegally operating an online gambling website.
Some condo residents declined to give interviews. However, they shared that a large group of foreign workers also used the same office around the middle of last year. After residents complained that the earlier group stayed about one to two months, then moved out.
space remained empty for a few months. Later, shortly before the New Year period, the Vietnamese group moved in, and operations appeared to start again.
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