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Philippines Cracks Down on Illegal Offshore Gambling Sites

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Philippines Cracks Down on Illegal Offshore Gambling Sites
Illegal offshore gambling websites

Philippine authorities have initiated a crackdown on illegal offshore gambling operators, many of which are owned by Chinese enterprises, as calls to restrict their activities grow owing to alleged links to crime syndicates.

The chairman of the Philippines’ gaming authority stated on Thursday that approximately 250 to 300 offshore gambling enterprises are operating in the nation without a permit. This is around six times more than the country’s 46 legitimate gaming operators.

“Together with the police, we search for these illegal operators, conduct raids, and shut them down,” Alejandro Tengco, head of the state regulator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), told Reuters by phone.

The online gaming sector began in the Philippines in 2016 and expanded rapidly as operators took advantage of the country’s lax gaming rules to attract clients in China, where gambling is illegal.

At their peak, the Philippine offshore gaming operators, or Pogos, numbered 300 and employed over 300,000 Chinese labourers. Tengco added that the pandemic and harsher tax restrictions had driven many people to relocate or go underground.

Human trafficking, torture and kidnapping

Reports of Pogo-related crimes such as human trafficking, torture, kidnapping, and fraudulent operations such as credit card, cryptocurrency investment, and “love scams” — when criminals assume fictitious online identities to persuade victims to pay them money — prompted the crackdown.

In March, law enforcement stormed a Pogo factory in Pampanga province, rescuing over 800 workers, including Filipino and Chinese citizens, according to local media.

Security officials have also raised worry about illegal Pogos, with the defence minister stating that criminal syndicates masquerading as Pogos pose a national security risk, and the national security council stating that these unlawful actions must not be permitted.

“The concern is that we should stop these syndicated criminal activities operating out of our base, which weaken our financial standing, country ratings, (and) corrupt our society,” Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said in a statement on Wednesday.

Pagcor’s Tengco stated that the gaming regulator would comply with the government’s final decision on Pogos, which might include banning the business entirely.

Tengco estimates that the government will collect 24.5 billion pesos ($417 million) in Pogo fees and taxes this year from 46 licenced Pogos, half of which are Chinese enterprises.

Online Casinos in the Philippines

Illegal offshore gambling websites in the Philippines are a serious problem for both players and regulators. These websites operate outside the law, making them difficult to trust. They frequently disregard any regulations, thus there is no guarantee that games are not rigged.

Players risk losing their funds with no recourse. Because these websites are not headquartered in the Philippines, they do not pay taxes, which harms the local economy. They also do not protect problem gamblers, which can lead to addiction. Law enforcement finds it difficult to shut them down because they are located in different countries.

This means they can reappear under new names, making it a never-ending chase. Players who use these sites risk having their personal and financial information stolen. In short, playing on illicit offshore gambling sites is perilous and may result in serious penalties. It is always preferable to go with legal, regulated choices to ensure fair play and safety.

A legal gambling website in the Philippines provides a secure option to place bets online. These websites adhere to tight regulatory restrictions, ensuring fairness and secure transactions.

Players in the Philippines can enjoy a range of games, including slots and sports betting, knowing that their money and personal information are secure. PAGCOR’s approval adds an element of trust. This rule helps to avoid fraud and promotes responsible gambling. Enjoy the thrill of betting, but always act responsibly.

Source: Reuters

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Police Officer Being Ordained at Temple Arrested for Running Scam Call Center

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Police Officer Being Ordained at Temple Arrested

Police in Northern Thailand have arrested a fellow officer as he was being ordained at a temple in Ngao district of neighbouring Lampang province.

Pol Lt Col Bandit Khonkan chief inspector from the Hang Dong police station was disrobed and taken to the Chang Puak station in Chiang Mai. He was arrested on charges of running a call centre scam gang in Chiang Mai Province.

According to Thai Media Chiang Mai Provincial Police Region 5 obtained an arrest warrant for Pol Lt Col Bandit on Friday from the Chiang Mai Provincial Court for procuring illegal telecom equipment, setting up a station and using public airwaves to run a telecommunications business without permission.

Pol Lt Col Bandit reportedly told investigators that he was not the ringleader and was only a member of the gang with Chinese partners.

His arrest followed the apprehension of his 26-year-old daughter, Miss Wanuchapond, 26, and three others during raids at three housing projects in Chiang Mai on Friday, Pol Maj Gen Weerachon Boontawee, deputy chief of Provincial Police Region 5 told Thai media.

During the raids police police discovered around 12 GSM gateways, or SIM boxes, which are devices used for converting cellular networks into mobile phone numbers used domestically.

The chief inspectors daughter Miss Wanuchapond told the arresting officers that she was paid 8,000 baht a month at each of the three locations for renting thr rooms and monitoring devices.

She claimed she had no idea what the devices were and accepted the job because the pay was attractive.

Police investigators working with telecom regulators used a special tracking device to monitor the gang’s communications and learned that its base was in Myanmar opposite Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai.

The call center gang used the GSM gateways to make calls over the internet to scam people in Thailand out of million of baht.

The GSM gateways transmitting signals via SIM boxes to convert them into domestic phone numbers, duping victims into thinking they were being called from Thai government agencies.

Pol Maj Gen Weerachon said that each SIM box held 32 SIM cards, with a capacity of up to 300,000 calls a month. The seized devices had made fraudulent calls over 3.6 million times.

He said the their investigation is ongoing and they are working to track down the remaining conspirators, including Chinese and other Thai suspects.

Authorities are still deciding whether Pol Lt Col Bandit will be dismissed from the force, he said, adding that so far, no other officers are known to have been involved.

Police in Chiang Rai Launch Crackdown on Cyber Criminals in Golden Triangle

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin has authorized the establishment of an emergency cyber center operated by the Royal Thai Police to combat transnational crimes committed by call center gangs along the Thai border in Chiang Rai province.

On July 19, Prime Minister Settha Thavisin directed the Center to combat information technology crimes. The Royal Thai Police (Royal Thai Police) will crack down on call center gangs in Myanmar, Laos, and along the border.

His directive comes as call center gangs ratchet up their scams to defraud people of their money, causing concern among Thais and jeopardizing the country’s economic and social stability.

Related Police News:

Machete Wielding Man Shot an Killed by Police in Chiang Rai

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/chiangrai-news/machete-wielding-man-shot-an-killed-by-police-in-chiang-rai/

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Thai Immigration Police Arrest Colombian Tourists Over Home Invasions

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Thai Immigration Police Arrest Colombian Tourist

Immigration police officers have arrested four Colombian nationals in connection with a series of home burglaries at luxury housing complexes in the Bangkok metropolitan area and Chiang Buri Province.

Pol Maj Gen Panthana Nuchanart, deputy commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, told a press briefing that three of the suspects were apprehended in Nonthaburi Province and the fourth in South Pattaya, Chon Buri Province.

According to the Bangkok Post, the Colombians were charged with stealing conspiracy and seized around 3 million baht (US$82,500.00).

According to Pol Maj Gen Panthana, the criminals rode motorcycles through housing estates, scoping out the properties and waiting for the owners to depart before committing their crimes.

He stated that all four of the accused denied any involvement in the home break-ins, but the arresting squad discovered evidence that implicated them.

Police called to home invasion

Meanwhile, police were dispatched to a luxury housing development in Tambon Nong Prue, Chonburi Province, after a Chinese man was attacked during a house invasion.

When they arrived, they discovered the house owner, Mr. Qian Peng Yi, visibly scared and with marks from being tied up with a cable. He informed police that three Chinese males broke into his home at 9 p.m., one of whom brandished a gun at him and directed him to his bedroom.

They bound his hands and feet, gagged him with fabric, taped his head, and forced him into the bed. The intruders then attempted to compel him into transferring 10 million baht in cryptocurrencies to them, endangering the life of his 33-year-old cousin who was in a second-floor bedroom.

While they scoured the house in search of riches, Mr. Peng Yi managed to flee and hide; he subsequently observed them leave with his cousin. Officials investigated the property and analyzed security camera footage from the incident and surrounding areas.

Around 9 p.m., a 30-year-old van driver came at the Bang Lamung police station after being contacted by an agency to carry Chinese customers from Pattaya to Suvarnabhumi Airport.

The driver informed authorities that he was supposed to pick them up at a motel about a kilometer from the Chinese businessman’s home. He then drove them to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, arriving at 1 a.m. and receiving 1,800 baht.

The driver took a snapshot of the group smoking at the airport gate and identified one of them as the victim’s cousin. Police suspected coordination between her and the three suspects in her cousin’s heist, who all departed Thailand on the same aircraft.

Other Bangkok News:

Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

Police in Bangkok Discover Six Vietnamese Tourists Dead in 5 Star Hotel

 

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Son of Thailand’s Leading Legal Scholar on Corruption Arrested for Running Online Gambling Network

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thailand, gambling network

The son of a former senator and leading economist and expert on corruption and gambling in Thailand has been arrested for on charges of running an online gambling network and its payment system.

Police from Thailand’s Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) have confiscated assets worth more than (US$ 11.1 million) 400 million baht.

Narote Piriyarangsan, 33, was arrested following crackdowns in three sites around the city, according to Pol Maj Gen Athip Pongsiwapai, commander of the police Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD).

Mr Narote’s father, Sangsit Piriyarangsan, is an economist who has written articles and books about corruption and gambling. He was one of the appointed senators that were investigating the government’s intention to legalize casino gaming before their terms expired.

Police also detained 39-year-old Narayut Narakaew, the owner of the gambling website 69pgslot.com. The Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for the couple for operating an internet gambling service and money laundering.

According to the Bangkok Post, police seized two desktop computers, one laptop computer, 14 mobile phones, 21 bank passbooks, 53 ATM cards, and four high-end cars — a Ferrari 926 GTS, an Aston Martin, a Lexus, and a Subaru — totaling more than 400 million baht.

Police launched the inquiry after discovering the online gambling site, which accepted funds via an automatic deposit-withdrawal system through bank accounts and deposits in the AskMePay system. Players scanned the VPay QR code as well as the QR codes for Heng Online 888 or Heng Pay Company.

Police also discovered that payments received via QR code scans were transferred to the account of Heng Pay Co and then to the gambling website’s mule accounts using AskMePay, which did not use banks’ face recognition scanning. An inquiry indicated a monthly turnover of approximately 5 billion baht.

According to investigators, the website has been up and running for around four years, with the payment mechanism in use for roughly eight months.

According to Pol Maj Gen Athip, Mr Narote owns the gaming website’s payment systems and is the director of Heng Pay Co. After gathering evidence, authorities requested arrest warrants for 14 people.

Thailand does not allow almost any kind of gaming. Even though the law doesn’t say anything specific about online gaming, it is still considered gambling. The country has pretty strict rules about gambling. Thai punters can bet on the national lottery and horse races, but they can’t bet on any other types of games.

But it’s not a secret that there is a huge illegal gaming business in Thailand, even though it’s illegal.

The illegal casinos, online betting shops, underground lotteries, and pop-up bookies that take bets on everything from cockfights to Muay Thai make a shadow economy that is worth billions of dollars every year.

Related News:

Thailand’s Cyber Crime Police Raid Top Cops Home Over Gambling Websites

Thailand’s Cyber Crime Police Raid Top Cops Home Over Gambling Websites

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