HYDERABAD: High profile gambling organiser Chikoti Praveen was reportedly arrested along with Medak District Cooperative and Central Bank Chairman Chitti Devendar Reddy by Thailand police from a luxury hotel in Pattaya city in the early hours of Monday for organising gambling activities like baccarat and blackjack in a hotel room modelled on a casino.
It may be recalled that the Enforcement Directorate had raided the residence of Chikoti Praveen for alleged violations of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) last year.
Praveen is known for organising gambling in Nepal, Bangkok, Thailand, etc. According to Bangkok Post, an English daily published in Bangkok, the police raided a luxury hotel – Asia Pattaya Hotel – in Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri, and found 83 Indian nationals, including women engaged in gambling activities.
The gambling organisers reportedly charged Rs 1.19 lakh (50,000 baht) for each game. They imported all gambling equipment including the card dealers from India. They were organising gambling in such a way that even the hotel staff was not allowed to enter their room.
“Pol Maj Gen Kampol Leelaprapaporn, the Chon Buri police chief, said the raid occurred about a quarter past midnight at Asia Pattaya Hotel in Soi Phra Tamnak 4 in Tambon Nong Prue, Bang Lamung district,” Bangkok Post said quoting the top local officials.
The police said that they had arrested 93 people, including 83 Indians. The investigation revealed that gamblers booked the hotel from April 27 to May 1 by colluding with a female Thai national named Sitranan Kaewlor, 32.
The police seized four baccarat tables, three blackjack tables, 25 sets of cards, 209,215,000 chips, Rs 1.6 lakh in cash, eight CCTV cameras, 92 mobile phones, three notebook computers, one iPad and three card dealer machines from the possession of the accused.