Among the suspects were Sommai Kritson, 51, of the Kamala Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor), and Pradit Ongsantipap, 43, village headman of Moo 1 in Chalong.
Pradit made news last year when disgruntled villagers staged a protest in front of Chalong police station over lack of action by police to investigate a fatal hit-and-run nine months earlier.
Pradit was the driver of a pickup truck that struck and killed a 59-year-old motorcyclist outside the Revenue Office in Chalong. Pradit fled the scene. (See story here.)
Pradit and Sommai were arrested when more than 30 officers led by Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Superintendent Lt Col Prawit Eagchuwn and Vichit police chief Col Kittipong Klaikaew, acting on a tip-off, arrived at the jungle gambling site at 9:30pm.
The camp was in the woods, about a kilometre off the main road. Officers found motorbikes hidden in the bushes, and the gamblers in a tent nearby.
Many of the gamblers tried to run away, but police had surrounded the camp and reportedly apprehended all of them.
Police seized B168,150 in cash and gambling equipment, including 60 betting chips marked B1,000-B5,020 and 17 chips marked B5,200-10,400.
At 2am yesterday morning (June 22), Vichit inspector Capt Nattaya Supanpong escorted all 26 suspects to Phuket City police station, as the Vichit police cells were not large enough to accommodate all of them.
Police are expected to present to the suspects to the court today (June 23).