Police in Nakhon Phanom arrested nearly 50 people involved in illegal cockfighting, following a tip-off about a large gathering of gamblers in a rural area. The operation, carried out by a team of over 30 officers, highlighted ongoing illegal gambling activities in the region.
Officers swiftly moved to take action after receiving a complaint via the Damrongdhama Centre regarding an unauthorised cockfighting ring in the middle of a field at Ban Wang Krasae, Moo 4, Ban Phueng subdistrict, Mueang district.
Somchai Boonchan, the district chief, directed Jakrapol Thiangphak, a district official responsible for security, to collaborate with officers from Border Patrol Police Company 237, Provincial Administrative Organisation, and investigative teams from Nakhon Phanom Police Station to plan a raid.
Upon their arrival, officers discovered over 100 gamblers engaged in cockfighting within a noisy, open-air structure.
Many attempted to flee, scattering into the surrounding fields and forests. Officers managed to apprehend 49 individuals, while over 30 others evaded capture.
They seized evidence including a pair of fighting cocks valued at 40,000 baht, two fighting rings, a wooden box for transporting cocks, a board with the names of cockfighting camps, two timers, and 520 baht in cash.
The owner of the premises, 55 year old Khiao was taken into custody along with the other gamblers. They were held for over six hours in the second-floor meeting room of the Mueang Nakhon Phanom district office, with proceedings continuing until midnight.
During this time, a middle-aged woman claiming to own the Wang Payak Cockfighting Camp remained outside to tend to her favourite white fighting cock, purchased for 30,000 baht, to ensure it was not harmed after being seized by the officers.
Jakrapol stated that the cockfighting ring operates on Saturdays and Sundays, attracting gamblers from the Mueang and Pla Pak districts. They gather to weigh and compare cocks in the morning and proceed to gamble later, all without proper authorisation, reported KhaoSod.
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