Thai police raid top cop's home in 'Betflix' gambling probe; well-known officer denies all allegations

Thailand's deputy national police chief Surachate "Big Joke" Hakparn arrives to chair a press conference regarding a murder case at the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok on June 30, 2023. Thai police swooped on the home of one of the kingdom's most high-profile officers on September 25 as part of a series of raids targeting an illegal online gambling network dubbed "Betflix". Surachate, well known in Thailand for his regular appearances in the media giving updates on investigations, denied any involvement in the alleged gambling ring. - AFP

BANGKOK (AFP): Thai police swooped on the home of one of the kingdom's most high-profile officers on Monday as part of a series of raids targeting an illegal online gambling network dubbed "Betflix".

Most forms of betting are illegal in Thailand, with authorities striving recently to shut down the illicit gambling sites, often foreign-owned, that have sprung up.