Police are still in the dark over the whereabouts of the 140 million baht, which is alleged to have been paid to police officers and civilians implicated in extorting money from an illegal online gambling network, but they will summon a key member of the gang for questioning, according to Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn, the deputy national police chief who is overseeing the investigation.

He said today (Monday) that the gambling platform operator, identified only as “Pe”, might be able to provide a clue as to the money’s location, because he was the one who gave some of the bribe to the alleged extortionists.

He also said that the police officers involved in the crackdown on the gambling network had considered revoking the arrest warrant against Pe after he paid the money.

So far, 10 of the 12 police officers implicated in the extortion have turned themselves in, to knowledge the charges against them, and have been questioned by police.

The deputy police chief claims that some of the officers have admitted involvement in the extortion, but Pol Maj-Gen Kampol Leelaprapaporn, the commander of Chon Buri provincial police, the highest-ranking officer implicated so far has denied the charges during more than two hours of interrogation yesterday.

Kampol will, however, submit a statement to the police within five days, said Surachate

Of the two civilian suspects who left the country, one went to Singapore and another to Cambodia.  A third person, a woman, is believed to be hiding somewhere in Thailand.

Kampol and seven of his men have been transferred to the operations centre of the Royal Thai Police pending the outcome of a fact-finding probe.