China: 32,000 arrested over cross-border gambling in 2023

Over 35,000 illegal border crossing cases were detected and 32,000 people were arrested in 2023.

China.- China’s National Immigration Administration has announced that 32,000 people were arrested in 35,000 cases of obstructing national border control in 2023.

Authorities also reported a total of 79,000 individuals suspected of engaging in cyber scams were arrested, following the resolution of 391,000 telecommunications-related crimes the previous year.

In 2020, China established a blacklist of destinations to which cross-border transfers are restricted.

The blacklist is compiled by multiple departments, including the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security. In March 2021, China’s revised Criminal Law made it illegal to assist cross-border gambling.

Chinese authorities also signed cooperation agreements with various countries in the region throughout 2022 and 2023 to combat online and cross-border gambling.

2023 witnessed the arrest of 109,000 suspects for various border crimes, and 65,000 foreign citizens faced sanctions for irregular entry, residence, or work in China, with 26,000 subsequently deported. 

Wang Xiaohong, a member of the Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and State Councilor, has recently stressed the need to intensify efforts, concentrate resources and strengthen coordination in the fight against cross-border gambling. 

In Macau, authorities have also launched campaigns against gambling, resulting in a halving of licenced junkets to only 18 this year.