Cross-Border Gambling Ring Dismantled by Joint Operation, $1M Seized

According to the Judiciary Police in Macau, a successful joint operation organized by the authorities in greater China’s special administrative region (SAR), Hong Kong and mainland China has put an end to an illegal gambling ring. 

The complex operation resulted in 93 arrests, with 11 key figures among them, as well as the seizure of over MOP8 million ($1 million) in cash.

One of the Core Members Is a Customs Officer 

Over 50% of the arrested individuals were detained in Macau, with four of them allegedly running an illegal gambling den in the north part of the SAR.

The duo that proved to be the masterminds behind the illegal operations was made of two 33-year-old locals. 

Nine of the core members were ages between 29 to 47. Authorities say one of them is a government employee, working as a customs officer. 

He is now facing disciplinary action.

It is also believed that the now-busted syndicate became active eight years ago in 2016, involving around MOP1 billion ($124 million).

Den Used Illegal Overseas Servers for Online Betting 

The illegal gambling ring was revealed two years ago in 2022, during a money laundering case. Four of the members were found to have ties with illicit gambling.

Police investigators discovered that the group behind the allegedly illicit operations had employed illegal servers from overseas to offer online betting on a gambling site they had set up.

The site accepted bets on soccer and basketball games.

Thanks to the authorities’ joint efforts, it was discovered that the gambling site was providing higher odds as incentives to draw in more punters using agents that were working nonstop. 

The arrests were made at several flats on the peninsula, Cotai, as well as in Coloane.

Meanwhile, 42 individuals from mainland China were arrested in Guangdong for allegedly placing illegal bets worth roughly RMB80 million ($11 million).

At the end of May, eight suspects who allegedly defrauded a casino in Macau out of $582,000 were detained by the Judiciary Police.

Thai authorities also announced a massive number of close to 2,600 arrests tied to alleged illegal gambling on UEFA, featuring both online and offline illegal operations for a total of over  TBH 400,117,440 ($11 million).