PHUKET: Police swooped on a gambling den in an apartment block in southern Phuket last night and arrested 16 people.

It was an unlucky roll of the dice for 13 men and three women who found there was only one way in and out of the Santi apartment block in Chalong.

Police also nabbed 400,000 baht in cash and 1.3 million in gambling chips. Neighbors, annoyed by the noise, alerted police to the den.

The group were taken to Chalong Police Station where all of them were bailed close to midnight. Most of the illegal gambling on Phuket relates to football betting.