Two Cambodian men were caught withdrawing large sums using multiple ATM cards and arrested at an ATM in Aranyaprathet district, Sa Kaeo province on Sunday, June 8. The arrest was made by officers from the Central Investigation Bureau and the Crime Suppression Division, acting on a tip regarding suspicious activity linked to illegal online gambling. 

Authorities reported that the pair were using ATM cards registered under other individuals’ names, a tactic often associated with transnational criminal operations. 

Over THB1 Million Seized Along With Dozens of Cards

During the arrest, police seized 23 pieces of evidence from the suspects. Among the items recovered were 18 ATM cards registered under various names, THB1,059,000 in cash, two mobile phones, and two shoulder bags. 

During questioning, both men admitted that they had been hired by an illegal online gambling network to carry out the cash withdrawals. They acknowledged that the ATM cards were not theirs, and said they were paid to make frequent withdrawals from ATMs in border regions.

Criminal Network Uses Cambodians as Couriers

Police investigators believe this incident is part of a larger operation hiring Cambodian nationals as money couriers for online gambling operations. These individuals are reportedly brought into Thailand to withdraw cash using electronic cards issued in different names then return the funds across the border. 

Authorities noted that these operations are concentrated in border areas such as Aranyaprathet, so the cash can be moved across borders easily. Therefore, the criminal networks can avoid scrutiny from financial institutions and evade anti-money laundering regulations. 

The operation is believed to generate millions of baht in transactions each month, laundering illegal gambling profits through ATM withdrawals. So, the transactions are difficult to trace back to the perpetrators.

Police Widen Probe Into Gambling Syndicate

The arrest has set off fresh investigations, with authorities seeking to identify the individuals behind this operation. Officials are focused on tracking the financial and communication trails left by the suspects to uncover the full extent of the network. 

Furthermore, investigators are working to determine the source of the ATM cards and whether they were obtained through identity theft or collusion with insiders at financial institutions. Police suspect that the criminal operations may extend across several countries in the region. 

Authorities are expected to arrest more culprits by coordinating with international counterparts to dismantle the syndicate. This case highlights ongoing concerns about the manipulation of Thailand’s financial system by transnational criminal groups to launder gains from illegal gambling operations.