HK police arrest 42 for running illegal online gambling op

Sep 01, 2023 Newsdesk Latest News, Rest of Asia, Top of the deck  

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Hong Kong’s police arrested a total of 42 individuals on Wednesday and Thursday for allegedly operating an illegal online gambling platform, which was believed to have been live since March 2022. The criminal group is suspected to have received an average of more than HKD26 million (US$3.3 million) per month in wagers placed through the platform.

The information was disclosed by superintendent Dicken Ko Tik of Hong Kong police’s cyber security and technology crime unit in a briefing to local media.

The alleged criminal group was also believed to have “laundered” nearly HKD300 million of illicit gains via several “stooge bank accounts”, from October 2022 to July this year, Mr Ko said during the briefing.

Gamblers using the platform could use Hong Kong’s faster payment system (FPS) for fund transfers, or place bets using cryptocurrencies. Games available included baccarat, blackjack, slot games, and sports betting.

Gamblers could also enjoy rewards or a “commission” if inviting other people to join the platform to gamble, said Mr Ko.

The server supporting the online gambling platform was hosted “overseas” for avoiding police detection, the police said. The platform was available both via a website and through a mobile phone application.

The alleged criminal group running the platform had a total of seven operational units in Hong Kong. Each had specific tasks, from running customer services to providing technology support, according to Hong Kong police.

Investigations are still ongoing.

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