Surachate Hakparn, seen here in June 2023, is one of Thailand's most high-profile police officers
Th...View MoreSurachate Hakparn, seen here in June 2023, is one of Thailand's most high-profile police officers
Thai police swooped on the home of one of the
kingdom's most high-profile officers on Monday as part of a series
of raids targeting an illegal online gambling network
dubbed "Betflix".
Most forms of betting are illegal in Thailand, with authorities striving recently to shut down the illicit gambling sites, often foreign-owned,
that have sprung up.
A sprawling investigation across six provinces saw SWAT teams raid some 30 locations -- including Deputy National Police
Chief Surachate Hakparn's central Bangkok house.
Surachate, well known in Thailand for his regular appearances
in the media giving updates on investigations, denied any
involvement in the alleged gambling ring.
"I'm not worried at all, because I'm not involved in this and I can answer any question," he told reporters outside his home while the raid was under way.
Police Major General Trairong Phiwpan said the raids
stemmed from a probe into a gambling website called "<a href="https://betflixslot.club">betflix Slot</a>" and 12 subsidiary sites.
Later Monday he told local media that of 23 suspects, 17 had been arrested, including eight police officers.
Officers conducting the raid on Surachate's house said they were unaware whose residence it was.
Known by the nickname "Big Joke" -- for his seniority, not his sense of humour -- Surachate insisted the search warrant for his home was "irregular" and hinted at rivalries within the force.
"Today I see this as nothing more than internal politics within the police," he said.
The raid comes only a few days before the selection of a new police chief, with Surachate touted as a possible candidate.
The long-serving officer -- nicknamed "the cat with nine lives" -- has been linked to powerful figures in the previous government.
He was appointed by ex-deputy prime minister Prawit Wongsuwan as chief of the Immigration Bureau in September 2018.
He disappeared in 2019 over unclear reasons, before then-prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha made him a special adviser on strategy to police in 2021.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, who took office last month, told reporters he was monitoring the situation.
"There may be the need to set up an independent investigation committee -- because this is a big problem," he said.
"It affects the morale and public impression towards the police."
Thai police have long been dogged by allegations of endemic corruption.
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Surachate Hakparn, seen here in June 2023, is one of Thailand's most high-profile police officers
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