Six Thai nationals arrested by Poipet police more than a week ago for their alleged involvement in a high-tech casino scam have been transferred to Phnom Penh and charged with theft, court officials said Sunday.
“They were sent to Prey Sar prison Saturday after the investigating judge issued a warrant for their detention,” Phnom Penh municipal Chief Prosecutor Ouk Savouth said Sunday.
Investigating Judge Ham Meng Se said the suspects had been using electronic equipment to scan the backside of playing cards. He said he had questioned the suspects in the presence of a Thai Embassy official.
The suspects’ lawyer, Kao Soupha, said Sunday that his clients had denied all participation in the scam.
He said that some of his clients were just regular players, while some had been paid between $100 and $150 a day to exchange gambling chips for unidentified individuals but knew nothing of the surveillance equipment.
Nine suspects were originally held by Poipet police for their alleged involvement in the scam, which cheated Poipet’s Star Vegas casino out of more than $3.5 million, according to a casino manager who spoke on condition of anonymity last week.
Kao Soupha said two of the nine were still being held in Poipet and that one had been released.
