According to China’s official state media agency Xinhua, the police in Hong Kong and mainland China managed to strike out against another cross-border illegal online gambling ring and arrested 71 people who were involved in the criminal enterprise.
The 71 people were arrested on Sunday, 3rd December 2017 and are suspected of being involved in a major online gambling operation involving illegal wagering by mainland gamblers on Hong Kong’s legal gambling industry.
The Police in the Chinese province of Guangdong, are said to have received a tip in April of this year regarding to websites that allowed mainland punters to place bets on international football matches as well as horseracing that was put on by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC).
The raid took place after more than seven months of investigation with authorities in Hong Kong and China working together in an attempt to break up the ring. Forty-eight individuals were arrested in Guandong province and 23 in Hong Kong following the participation of hundreds of police who participated in dozens of raids in both jurisdictions.
Online bets valued at RMB 21 million has been frozen in China while HDK 100 million in bets were frozen in Hong Kong. A massive number of cash, phones, computers and other evidence were seized by the police.
China recently revealed that it would be enhancing its campaign to identify, arrest and severely punish illegal online gambling operators with China’s Ministry of Public Security showing its eagerness to cooperate with its counterparts in other Asia-Pacific countries to combat cross-border online gambling operations.