Officers from Region 8 Police raided the villa, in Soi Salika, at about 5:30pm. The raid followed an investigation into illegal gambling and was executed with the authority of a warrant, Region 8 Police reported.
The five arrested at the site were all Russian nationals, named by police as Aleksandr Shelgunov, 36; Vasilii Piskunov, 39; Pavel Mishanov, 38; Evgenii Vylegzhanin, 23; and Ksenia Savranchuk, 36.
Officers seized as evidence a large gambling table, two decks of playing cards and betting chips amounting to the equivalent of B356,300 that were being used at the time the officers entered the property.
Also seized were two books for recording income and expenses, two stopwatches, another spare gambling table and 508 spare betting chips representing a value of “approximately” B1,619,739
Officers also seized the hard disk for the CCTV system at the house, and an assortment of illegal shisha (or hookah, or baraku) contraband.
One of the five arrested was charged with shisha contraband, while the rest were charged with gambling illegally, Region 8 Police noted, without specifying exactly who was charged with what.
All five were taken to Chalong Police Station for “further legal action”, Region 8 Police confirmed.