Chonburi provincial police seized 60 slot machines and arrested eight in a raid of a warehouse in Pattaya.
Region 2 commander Maj. Gen. Sanit Mahataworn said the machines had been smuggled into Thailand and stored in the four-story building in Nongprue, awaiting deployment to illegal underground casinos.
Arrested were Apiwat Baanlane, 22, Weera Nasup, 29, Piyapong Boonyathee, 23, Paenai Klangboonkrong, 25, Isara Wankreua, 19, Thawat Boonanan, 23, Patsapong Khamwiwat, 28, and Nattapol Arannart, 22.
Chonburi provincial police seized 60 slot machines and arrested eight in a raid of a warehouse in Pattaya.
Sanit said Weera tried to sway police with the claim he was the nephew of a military chief in Bangkok. Another of those arrested reportedly was the son of a provincial police commissioner.
Police said Weera admitted to pooling money from multiple investors to buy and import the machines and was renting the building to store them. Investigators are now looking for those other investors.
