Chonburi Immigration Police on Monday raided a mansion in Bang Lamung district and arrested five Chinese nationals suspected of using the residence for online gambling.

Following intelligence that the home was a base for an online gambling operation, an officer posed as a food delivery driver purporting to deliver food to the luxury house in Soi Ekmongkhol in Nong Prue subdistrict. When a resident opened the gate, police revealed themselves and searched the compound for any illegal activities.

Police arrested five suspects, four males and one female, all of Chinese nationality. They also confiscated three computers, 29 mobile phones, and several passports and ATM cards.

Police said online conversations on the computers revealed that the suspects have been contacting customers in China via the Wechat application, inviting them to gamble on their websites, which provide a commission to those making referrals of around 50,000 baht per day.

Police said investigators suspected illegal activity at the residence, which uses an unusually high amount of electricity of around 10,000 baht per month, while the gate remains closed for most of the day, except for accepting goods from delivery staff.

The suspects were initially charged with working without a work permit. Investigators are now checking the evidence before filing other related charges, police said.