Casino organizer Chikoti Praveen who is under the Enforcement Directorate's radar over FEMA violations in India was arrested in Pattaya, Thailand on Sunday night by the Thai police for allegedly conducting gambling with Indians and foreigners in the country.

As per reports, the Thai police based on a tip-off that a gambling racket was being held in a hotel for the past week had conducted raids on Asia Pattaya Hotel and arrested more than 90 people including Indian tourists, and 14 women were brought in for gambling.

It is reported that they had booked the hotel from April 27 to May 1 and were using a conference room for gambling.

They arrested Chikoti Praveen and his close aide Madhav Reddy along with some high-profile persons from Hyderabad including Medak DCCB Bank Chairman Chitti Devender Reddy. The gamblers were reportedly caught with a total of Rs 20 crores in gambling chips and Indian currency in their possession.

As per reports on The Nation Thailand website, the Thai police raided Asia Hotel in Chonburi’s Bang Lamung district after midnight on Monday and the gamblers were scheduled to check out on Monday. Police were also told about the convention hall was turned into a makeshift casino. The suspects tried to flee but were captured. The Thai police seized gambling tables, cards, 160,000 Indian rupees in cash, 92 mobile phones, three notebook computers, three card dispensers, and chips to be exchanged for cash later.

A Thai woman identified as Sitranan Kaewlor had confessed to organising gambling trips for Indian tourists. She said they were charged 50,000 baht each, which included airfare, food, and hotel stay. The woman said that the hotel was instructed to keep its staff away from the convention hall. She added that the tourists reportedly played cards from 1 pm to dawn during their stay at the hotel.

The gambling industry is not allowed in the Buddhist nation and the Gambling Act of Thailand bans the playing of such games at both land-based and online casinos. Anyone caught gambling illegally is to face a punishment of 1000 bahts fine and one-year imprisonment.

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