Shenzhen police have arrested at least 146 people engaged in
illegal soccer betting during the World Cup 2006 and confiscated
more than 30 million yuan (US$3.75 million) in betting funds, a
spokesman for the municipal public security bureau said Monday.
The largest gambling racket involving 46 members was smashed
last week, with 1.32 million yuan in gambling money seized,
7-million-yuan deposits frozen and five luxury cars confiscated.
Three of the 46 suspects are Taiwanese.
The raid, organized by the provincial public security department
along with Shenzhen and Dongguan police, was praised by the
Ministry of Public Security in a recent telegraph, the bureau said
at a news conference.
The gang, led by a Taiwanese man in his 40s surnamed Lin, was
targeted by the police since June 23 after a tipoff.
Seven other local bookmakers responsible for managing three
soccer gambling Web sites and accounts, and Lin's bodyguard were
also put under 24-hour surveillance by the police.
Lin, his bodyguard and a gambling Web site operator were finally
arrested by the police in a pre-dawn raid in Nanshan District on
July 5.
Five operators of soccer betting Web sites were arrested in
Futian District following the raid.
"We found two gambling sites in Futian and Bao'ao districts
during the action. At least 1.38 million yuan of gambling money,
including HK$110,000 and US$7,000, was seized during the two
separate raids, another 7 million yuan in 35 accounts was frozen,
49 computers and five luxury cars were seized," said Wang Weidong,
spokesman for the bureau.
He revealed that a total of 156 policemen had worked on the
case.
Lin admitted he had been conducting illegal soccer betting for
one year and owned two betting Web sites. His agent in Dongguan,
nicknamed "Ah Wang," was arrested in early July by Dongguan
police.
The police also arrested at least 100 bookmakers and seized 30
million yuan in gambling money in 20 raids.
"We will keep cracking down on soccer gambling after the World
Cup matches," he said at the conference. "Gambling at bars,
restaurants and hotels are the main targets for the police."
(Shenzhen Daily July 12, 2006)
