Philippines: 1,147 arrested in connection with illegal gambling in Cebu
Police in Cebu carried out 506 raids and seized PHP132,777 in bet money last month
The Philippines.- Police in Cebu province carried out 506 raids in October and arrested 1,147 people in connection with alleged illegal gambling. According to police reports, most of those arrested are suspected of being involved in unauthorised small-town lottery operations.
The raids were carried out within the framework of an investigation that sought to detect those involved in illegal swertres operations following a complaint by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
‘Swertres’ is a portmanteau of the words swerte (Filipino for luck) and tres (Spanish for three). To play, people choose three digits from zero to nine. Players must match the winning digits and the order in which they’re drawn.
Colonel Rommel Ochave, chief of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CCPO), told local media that operations will continue. He said that a week ago, the CPPO arrested 64 people who were caught playing in swertres.
It was reported that last Saturday (November 12) Carcar City Police Station caught two people selling number combinations in Sitio Proper, Barangay Bolinawan. Police officers said they will continue to work to clampdown on illegal numbers games.
