Law enforcement agents are speeding up their investigation into the sale of overpriced lottery tickets online, said Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn, assistant chief of the national police.
Pol Lt Gen Surachate on Saturday said Pol Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk, chief of the national police, has instructed officers to pursue legal action against those selling overpriced tickets on online platforms.
Police officers are taking their time with the case to investigate the matter and some platforms have more than 30,000 employees, Pol Lt Gen Surachate said.
Some online platforms were complicated and did not allow sellers to directly meet buyers while others may not have real lottery tickets, he said, adding that some platforms sold tickets multiple times to unsuspecting customers.
Recently, a Facebook page called "Kong Salak Plus" was seen advertising lottery tickets for a May 2 drawing at 95 baht each, drawing criticism from officials.
"The company's duty is only to find the cheapest tickets in the market and sell them to customers," according to the page.
Thanawat Polwichai, spokesman for the Government Lottery Office (GLO), warned that it is against the law to sell tickets beyond the legal 80-baht limit.
"If there is proof that tickets are sold for more than 80 baht as stated by the post, the GLO will ask the police to take legal action against those involved," he said.
On April 6, police arrested Pachara Messiyaporn, 31, owner of Bluedragon Lottery Co, and pressed four charges against him, including selling overpriced tickets online.
Police stormed his house in a luxury estate in Pak Kret district of Nonthaburi at 7am armed with an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court.
He denied all charges and was released on 100,000-baht bail.
