Taiwan police bust $388 million World Cup betting ring
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Five of the eight people arrested had travelled from Hong Kong and Macau on tourist visas for the World Cup betting operation.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Taiwan police busted an illegal online World Cup betting ring and seized over US$300 million in bets.
- Eight people were arrested, including five who came from Hong Kong and Macao on tourist visas.
- The group had rented a house in Tainan and collected nearly NT$10 billion in bets during the tournament.
AI generated
TAIPEI – The police in Taiwan have seized more than US$300 million (S$388 million) in World Cup bets after busting an illegal online betting ring, the authorities said on July 2.
Taiwan did not qualify for the World Cup, but many people on the sporting-mad island are football fans.
The police raided a house in the southern city of Tainan on July 1, Tainan City Police Department’s Fourth Precinct said in a statement.
They arrested eight people and seized computers, mobile phones, ledgers and cash, the statement added.
Five of the eight people had travelled from Hong Kong and Macau on tourist visas for the World Cup betting operation.
The outfit had allegedly raked in nearly NT$10 billion (S$405 million) in bets on World Cup matches, the police said.
They had rented the five-storey house for the period of the tournament. AFP