Last February, Thai police arrested an internet talent and former boxer on suspicion of operating illegal gambling.Now, Siapo Poanon has been put on trial and sentenced to 2 years in prison.
Siapo was arrested at his Bangkok home as part of a series of raids.Police monitored the gambling business before netting seven locations, including his home.
Just six months earlier, Thai lawmakers asked Siapo to advise them on gambling regulations.A House committee has explored the possibility of online gambling, but it is still controversial at home.
From idol to criminal
Siapo was something of a cultural icon for Thailand's new age, but his world fell apart.At the time of his arrest, prosecutors accused him of being the mastermind behind a large-scale illegal gambling campaign that has spread domestically and internationally.
The investigation resulted in the arrest of 21 people, including Siapo.Along with Siapo, police also arrested his wife, mother, brother and sister-in-law.In addition to illegal gambling, they were also accused of money laundering.According to the Bangkok Post, the five controlled the organization's "executive group."Another group controlled all financial transactions, and a third group controlled bank accounts that accepted online gambling.
The group is said to have moved more than 18 billion baht (US$5209 million) before police disbanded.Siapo and 18 others denied the accusations when they first appeared in court.As a result, he was initially imprisoned without bail.His brother and sister have since been released on bail and fled the country.
Siapo, who acted as the mastermind, was sentenced to four years for illegal online gambling.Add to that 4 money-laundering charges, and you get an additional 25 years in prison.His wife was sentenced to six months on two counts of facilitating illegal gambling.
This is the longest sentence for many non-violent offenders in Thailand, so Siapo could only serve 54 of the 20 years. Siapo is currently appealing the court's ruling.
Dismantling by the House of Representatives
Little is known about Siapo's cooperation with the Thai House of Representatives in its debate on gambling regulation.Having acted as an adviser to him just six months before his arrest, it is likely that something in his work with the government triggered the investigation.
Police determined he had been operating illegally since at least 2018.By the time he disbanded the group, he had made over 575K in financial transactions.
In 2021, many of the would-be accomplices dispersed as police began sweeping raids.Some are still at large, including Siapo's mother and a citizen from Myanmar who had gone to Thailand for work.
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