A South Korean man wanted under an Interpol red notice for alleged involvement in a major online gambling and scam operation has been arrested in Pattaya.
Immigration officers apprehended the 45-year-old man, identified only by his surname Kim, at a health massage shop in the tourist city in Chon Buri, the Immigration Bureau said on Saturday.
The Interpol Red Notice said the suspect was sought for involvement in a major call-centre scam gang and an extensive online gambling network operating in South Korea.
Thai authorities said Mr Kim was linked to the management of several online gambling websites, including Shinsegae (ssg266.com), LIGHT (young088.com), Gangnam (gn-770.com), Bangatgan (bwg-7979.com) and BLUE (blue8965.com). The sites offered online betting, baccarat and slot games, with numerous players in South Korea reporting substantial losses.
Immigration investigators searching for Mr Kim learned that he frequently visited a health massage shop in tambon Nong Prue of Bang Lamung district. Officers began surveillance of the location on Thursday.
On Friday afternoon, they spotted a man matching his description entering the premises. The officers moved in and arrested him, before subsequently searching a nearby residence believed to be linked to him.
A search of the property uncovered several computers containing administrative back-office systems used to manage online gambling websites. Investigators also found user and agent account information, along with records detailing betting volumes, rolling turnover figures and operating profits.
Authorities estimated Mr Kim earned 124 million baht annually from each gambling website. All of the computers and related evidence were seized for further examination and expansion of the investigation.
The suspect was later handed over to investigators at Immigration Sub-Division 3 for legal and extradition procedures to face charges in South Korea.
