BANGKOK, 14 July 2014 – Police have been ordered to be more vigilant about tentative rise of crimes after the FIFA World Cup 2014 tournament drew to a close yesterday, due to a number of people unable to pay off gambling debts and violent debt claims by loan sharks.
Pol Lt-Gen Anand Srihirun, the Director of the Office of Police Strategy, has announced the latest results of suppression on football betting. 4,720 people have been arrested so far since the beginning of the FIFA World Cup. Out of this figure, 249 were bookmakers, 4,343 punters, and 128 bet couriers.
Police have also confiscated at least 2 million baht in cash and found lists of gamblers involved in combined bets of 34 million baht. Most of the arrests took place in the Bangkok Metropolis.
Police have so far closed down 2,128 websites opened for football betting and are taking steps to track down about 120 remaining sites.
Meanwhile, Police Major General Chanthawit Ramasut, the Deputy Metropolitan Police Chief, revealed that people should be extra cautious about an increasing rate of crime. After the World Cup has ended, a number of creditors would press to demand payments from debtors. Some gamblers might be in short of money and turn to robbery to find money to pay off their debts.
