After conducting raids on illegal gambling dens, the police and military force of Thailand are being criticized after connections were found between the gaming operators and officers. Royal Thai Navy security personnel headed to the Chalong district on Monday in Phuket to conduct an underground casino raid after a tipoff came in from neighbors to the venue. The tip stated the activities taking place included a ‘high-low’ three dice game, which took place at a private residence.

Neighbors spoke with police, stating that the operators appeared to not be afraid of the law and this lack of fear was present during the raid. 100 individuals were estimated to be at the facility during the raid, with close to 40 being arrested. The arrests included government officers according to local reports.

It was reported by the Phuket News, three days later that a Royal Thai Navy officer who led the raid accused a colonel of the Army of ordering him to ‘call off the dogs’. Col Sompop Kamkana stated he was handed a phone from a woman who had been arrested, stating someone wanted to speak with him. A man on the telephone claimed to be a colonel of the Army, and told Sompop to release the suspects who were arrested and forget the raid happened.

Sompop refused and the Army officer began to condemn him with rude words and threatened to use powerful friends to have him transferred. Phone records showed that the phone call did come from an Army colonel’s telephone, which prompted Sompop to alert the governor of Phuket. An investigation is now getting started on the incident to see who in the government is connected.

A Bangkok gambling den raid resulted in a police superintendent and four subordinates being reassigned. A three story shophouse of Prawet was raided, with the Army troops arresting 31 individuals who were taking part in illegal gambling. It is unknown as to exactly how the officers were involved in the gaming operations.