AoV player Tokyogurl arrested after SEA Games cheating scandal

Following the 33rd SEA Games 2025 cheating scandal, female Thailand Arena of Valor (AoV) pro player Napapat “Tokyogurl” Warasin is now under criminal prosecution. The former athlete was arrested for orchestrating a proxy-play cheating scheme with her boyfriend during the esports event. 

The issue spiraled into a full-scale legal controversy. This is because Thai authorities determine that the act also violates the country’s Computer Crime Act. This exposes both parties to potential imprisonment, fines, and permanent criminal records, alongside their already active esports ban.

Thailand’s Crime Suppression Division launched a targeted investigation, codename “Operation Ghost Buster,” on Tokyogurl. The reason was due to what authorities described as a technologically coordinated cheating operation tied to the Thai national women’s AoV squad.

However, it would seem the issue is much deeper than just a cheating scandal. Officials claim that this incident is also a criminal offense that has affected national sporting credibility. The police investigation resulted in authorities arresting both Tokyogurl and Cheerio on Feb 4, 2026. A search warrant was issued, and the police gained information to back up the claims, including chat logs that confirm their misconduct. According to Tokyogurl, she was promised an iPhone if the team won a gold medal in the SEA Games. Losing would mean they only get the bare minimum, such as rent or gas money. 

The police arrested Tokyogurl along with his accomplice, a former pro player known as Cheerio. Investigations reveal that the pair colluded, with Cheerio piloting Tokyogurl’s AoV account during the 33rd Sea Games. According to reports, Tokyogirl has been paying Cheerio to pilot her account for 300-500 baht ($10 - $16 USD) per session. 

Tokyogurl allegedly asked Cheerio to play certain matches against select teams while she personally competed in others. The two reportedly used Discord to share credentials, but were unable to execute their plan in the second round against Vietnam due to a technical issue. This throws their whole operation off as the referees noticed the unusual behaviour, leading to Tokyugirl being penalized. Later on, Cheerio confessed to having played on her behalf on his TikTok account. 

The cheating scandal became a full-blown criminal act. Pol. Lt. Col. Kamnuan shared that the investigation confirmed clear breaches of the Esports Technical Handbook Rule 9.5.3, which bars unauthorized account access as well as use of cheat tools or performance-enhancing software in a competitive scene. 

Beyond the SEA Games ruling, the two also violated Thailand’s Computer Crime Act.  This offense carries potential penalties of up to two years in prison. Additionally, there are also fines of up to 40,000 baht ($1,286 USD). Authorities submit the completed case dossier to the public prosecutor and file formal charges at the Pathumwan District Court. The court schedules the final verdict for Tokyogurl and Cheerio on March 17, 2026.

In general terms, the Computer Crime Act (CCA) is a law that prohibits unauthorized access to someone else’s credentials, bypassing security measures, or manipulating systems to gain an unfair advantage. Needless to say, its purpose is to protect both private and public digital infrastructure from misuse and fraud.

The CCA comes into play in the Tokyogurl 33rd SEA Games cheating scandal because the offense goes beyond breaking tournament rules. What she and Cheerio did entered the realm of unauthorized access to protected computer systems. This is a criminal act under Thai law. Not only did Tokyogurl share classified information, like her tournament account credentials, but they also circumvented security measures imposed by the organizer. 

It also did not help that Tokyogurl was representing Thailand in a state-sanctioned sporting event. Her actions not only violated competition rules but also tarnished the pride and reputation of the nation on an international stage.