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Thailand dismantles online gambling ring linked to World Cup 2026

The bureau’s investigation targeted the "All Game 248" gambling website, which allegedly accepted bets on the FIFA World Cup 2026 and had been operating for about 18 months. During the operation, codenamed "All Game End Game," authorities arrested 12 suspects, including a former local politician, and the seizure of assets worth more than 13 million THB (418,000 USD).

Bangkok (VNA) - The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) of Thailand has dismantled a major online gambling network accused of processing billions of THB through a sophisticated money-laundering operation involving nominee bank accounts, shell companies, illegal payment gateways and cryptocurrency conversions.

The bureau’s investigation targeted the "All Game 248" gambling website, which allegedly accepted bets on the FIFA World Cup 2026 and had been operating for about 18 months. During the operation, codenamed "All Game End Game," authorities arrested 12 suspects, including a former local politician, and the seizure of assets worth more than 13 million THB (418,000 USD).

Investigators said the organisation operated a highly structured financial system designed to conceal illicit proceeds.

The network was found to divide bank accounts into multiple layers to receive gambling deposits, temporarily hold funds and transfer profits to beneficiaries.

The syndicate also relied on illegal payment gateway services and shell-company bank accounts to obscure financial transactions. More than 20 bank accounts linked directly to suspects and over 200 additional accounts used for money laundering were identified.

Investigators said foreign nationals were recruited to hold bank accounts on behalf of the network, making it more difficult for authorities to trace the flow of funds. The organisation also maintained regional managers responsible for overseeing operations across different parts of the Southeast Asian country.

Authorities estimated that the platform had processed more than 1 billion THB in transactions each month over the past three months, with thousands of registered users. At least 500 million THB in illicit funds was converted into cryptocurrency each month, enabling the network to evade financial scrutiny.

The Criminal Court approved arrest warrants for 15 suspects and search warrants for five locations in Bangkok, Samut Prakan and Tak. Raids uncovered approximately 3 million THB in cash, 20 bank passbooks, numerous electronic devices and more than 10 million THB frozen in bank accounts, bringing the total value of seized assets to over 13 million THB./.

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VNA
#Thailand #online gambling ring #money-laundering operation #illegal payment gateways #IFA World Cup 2026 Thailand
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