S'pore nabs 74 as part of Asia-wide illegal soccer betting arrests
Posted: 20 July 2012 1558 hrs
SINGAPORE: Singapore police arrested 74 people believed to be involved in illegal soccer betting activities, as part of a two-month Interpol joint operation.
The estimated value of the illegal bets collected by the syndicates was believed to total over S$7 million.
Besides cash of more than S$78,000, police also seized computers, laptops, modems, routers, mobile phones, thumbdrives and other items believed to be used for illegal betting activities.
Investigations against the 74 suspects are ongoing.
About 300 people were arrested and over US$780,000 was seized in the Interpol operation to combat illegal soccer gambling in Asia linked to organised crime gangs.
Singapore police joined forces with those from China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam.
They made over 200 raids on illegal gambling dens which were estimated to have handled around US$85 million worth of bets.
The operation, codenamed Operation SOGA 4 (Soccer Gambling), covered the final matches of major national football leagues across Europe, the UEFA championships and EURO 2012.
Operation SOGA was first conducted by Interpol in 2007.
So far, four SOGA operations have been conducted, resulting in more than 7,000 arrests worldwide and the seizure of nearly US$27 million, as well as the closure of illegal gambling dens which handled more than US$2 billion worth of bets.
Director of the Criminal Investigation Department, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Hoong Wee Teck, said: "These series of operations show our resolve to clamp down on illegal gambling activities. We will come down hard on subjects, regardless of whether they are individuals betting illegally or are part of a syndicate collecting illegal bets. We will also continue to work closely with Interpol in combating such illicit activities".
Under the Betting Act, any person who bets with a bookmaker can be fined up to S$5,000, or jailed up to six months, or both.
Those involved in bookmaking can be fined between S$20,000 and S$200,000, and jailed up to five years.
- CNA/wm
