A Chinese national behind a THB2.5 billion ($70 million) gambling website has been arrested and deported by Thai authorities at the request of China.
The Immigration Bureau of Thailand confirmed the arrest and deportation in a recent media report, stating that the 32-year-old suspect, identified only as Huang, was taken into custody following a cooperation request from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Thailand.
According to reports from the embassy, the Tianjin State Security Bureau in China’s Nankai district pursued legal action against a criminal syndicate known as Zhonghe for perpetrating fraudulent activities. The group is accused of operating the WANHE Football gambling platform from a jurisdiction outside mainland China, encouraging Chinese nationals to take part in illegal gambling.
The website enticed victims to participate in sports betting and operated between March 2022 and April of the following year. The losses caused to Chinese players by the operation are estimated to exceed THB25 billion ($70 million).
Subsequent investigations implicated Huang in the promotion and advertisement of the illicit gambling platform and an arrest warrant was issued against him in December of last year. Escaping from China, Huang entered Thailand utilizing a Cambodian passport. Immigration authorities apprehended him in Bangkok’s Sathon district on February 8th. He has since been deported to China to face legal proceedings.
