Banglamung –
Police have arrested a 31-year-old Chinese national identified only as Mr. Yu, the suspected ringleader of the PAOFENG network accused of laundering funds for international online gambling operations involving nearly one billion baht.
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) tracked and detained Yu outside a housing estate in Huai Yai. He was wanted under a Chinese arrest warrant and had already had his permission to remain in Thailand revoked.
Investigators say the PAOFENG network was established in 2018 to act as a middleman for overseas online gambling websites. More than 60 lower-level members allegedly managed over 6,000 Alipay and WeChat accounts used to receive betting transfers.
The group then moved the funds, including through cryptocurrency, in an effort to avoid detection. Authorities estimate the total amount of money circulated through the network at nearly 1 billion baht.
Yu was handed over to the Immigration Bureau for deportation proceedings back to China. In initial questioning he admitted he was the individual named in the Chinese warrant and had fled to Thailand to evade arrest.
For the original version of this article, please visit The Pattaya News.
