Police seize more than HK$100 million in illegal betting slips and arrest 71 in cross-border crackdown
More than 200 officers from the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau took action in 30 locations across Hong Kong
Hong Kong and mainland Chinese police confiscated HK$100 million (US$12.8 million) worth of illegal betting slips and arrested 71 people involved in a cross-border bookmaking racket on Sunday.
More than 200 officers from the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau were active in 30 locations across Hong Kong.
Some 19 men and four women, aged between 33 and 66, were arrested in the city for engaging in bookmaking, money laundering and possession of drugs. The force believed some had triad backgrounds and were core members or senior brokers of the syndicate.
“The ring worked in four tiers: overseas bookmakers; senior brokers; brokers; and gamblers,” said Bert Lo Chung-wong, chief inspector from the bureau.
“The senior brokers sometimes acted as the bookmakers and received bets directly from gamblers. Or they passed the bets to overseas bookmakers to earn brokerage.”