Hong Kong: 12 arrested for alleged illegal gambling

Those arrested were allegedly involved in illegal online sports betting.

Hong Kong.- Police in Hong Kong have arrested 12 people, five men and seven women, for allegedly being involved in an international betting syndicate that collected HK$250m (US$32m) in illegal bets over the past five months.

Police say the group used more than 600 bank accounts belonging to domestic helpers to collect funds from illegal gambling. It allegedly began operating in February, focusing mainly on Hong Kong and Southeast Asian countries through a website where visitors could play baccarat, slots, lottery and bet on horses. The platform also allowed betting on sporting events such as football and the Paris Olympics. The servers were hosted abroad.

According to the South Morning China Post, chief Inspector Wu Hoi-ling of the Kowloon East Technology and Financial Crime Unit said social media profiles were used to promote the website. Bets were withdrawn in cash and used cryptocurrencies to launder the funds. Police seized cash, computers, 386 bank cards, 211 SIM cards and 218 mobile phones.