Hong Kong police have smashed an illegal betting ring and arrested 25 people involving in some 100-million-HKD bets on World Cup, according to a Singtao Daily report on Sunday.

A police spokesman said that the ring has been running for more than six months, and the police has confiscated betting slips for wagers placed online and by telephone worth of about 65 million HK dollars in the ring's base in Yuen Long.

As the 2010 World Cup finals kicked off in South Africa this Friday, Hong Kong police launched a series of raids to purge of illegal bets on the grandest soccer event on the planet.

Hong Kong police has intensified law enforcement against both illegal betting and driving-drunk during the World Cup finals period.

The Organized Crime and Triad Bureau is coordinating the efforts of the various regional agencies involved in the operation, including counterparts in Guangdong province, Singtao Daily reported.

So far, the police has confiscated betting slips for wagers placed online and by telephone worth of approximately 100 million HK dollars, and the HK police will release further statistics later on Sunday.