Thai Illegal Gambling Boss Arrested for Alleged Murder of Informant
Police inward eastern Kingdom of Thailand on Th arrested a reputed illegal gambling casino bigwig inwards the urban center of Rayong and charged him with murder, Nation Thailand reports.
Somchai “Long Joo” Jutikitdecha, dubbed “the Gambling King of the East” by local media, is believed to own a electronic network of illegal play dens that experience been blamed for a upsurge of COVID-19 cases inwards the region.
He was initially arrested inwards February on illegal gaming and money laundering charges but was released on bail after agreeing to don an electronic tag on his ankle.
Now, prosecutors impeach Somchai, 56, of order the contract violent death of a cab motorcyclist who informed police about ane of his gaming dens.
Prathum Sa-adnak, 47, was shaft dead slow a schooltime past deuce men inward the urban center of Pattaya on July 28, 2020. The victim had taken photographs of an illegal cassino inward Chonburi, which was afterwards raided by police.
Local constabulary originally arrested Manas Imnam, 39, and Niphon Panthong, 47, for Prathum’s murder. The suspects claimed they killed Parthum because of a personal row they had with the victim.
But Prathum’s folk believed they were hired hitmen and demanded further investigation. The showcase was referred to the national police, who linked the putting to death to Somchai’s play den.
Illegal Casinos Lined to COVID
Rayong was the epicentre of Thailand’s arcsecond undulation of COVID-19 in December, which health officials said had been spread out through cockfights and crowded illegal casinos, many of which were linked to Somchai.
Police raided x locations during Somchai’s initial arrest, and an additional 21 on Thursday inwards Rayong, Chanthaburi, Chonburi, and Bangkok.
Gambling is illegal inwards Thailand, except for the drawing and betting on gymnastic horse racing. But it has been estimated that as often as half the population of almost 70 trillion people gamble regularly by illegal means.
Thailand’s illegal casinos are needfully discreet, which way they are typically small, crowded, and poorly ventilated venues where people mingle closely, smoke, and drinking alcohol – nonpareil bringing up grounds for the virus.
Legalized Casinos on Horizon
The data link between gaming dens and COVID-19 clusters has, at the rattling least, started a conversation most legalizing casinos.
In January, The Bangkok Post reported that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha wheel spoke come out nigh the issue. He said he would debate a proposal to clear gambling casino gaming inward a conjure to curbing an illegal gaming problem that is spiraling out of control.
Thailand is I of only if trey ASEAN nations without casino gaming, on with Republic of Indonesia and Brunei. Should that change, the state would hold no more shortage of takers from international gambling casino operators.
Las Vegas Sands Corp has made no more private of its ambitions to wreak a gambling casino resort hotel to the country. In 2015, the company’s former chairman and CEO, the tardily Sheldon Adelson, offered to invest upwards to $6 one thousand million to build a gaming and entertainment coordination compound inward telephone exchange Bangkok.