The Singapore Police Force (SPF) arrested seven men under suspicion of conducting an international illegal online gambling operation.
The operation took place on October 5, leading to the arrest of seven men aged between 28 and 53 years old. The SPF collaborated with the FBI and Meta to gather evidence supporting the arrests.
Back in March 2023, the SPF first received reports of victims being convinced to open accounts with an online gambling website and buy gambling credits by transferring money onto the site. Although the victims would at first be able to successfully redeem their winnings from games, continuing to gamble would spark a choice between winning more money or purchasing more credits.
Several victims of the scheme lost more than S$175,000 (around $135,000). Early investigation from the SPF led the authorities to believe that an international group was behind the illegal gambling ring, targeting victims across Asia, not just in Singapore.
At this point, the SPF began collating information from the FBI and Meta about the alleged gambling activities. Further probes led to the arrest of the group members, with officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and Police Intelligence Department mounting simultaneous raids at multiple locations across Singapore.
As well as the arrests of seven men, cash, 15 bank accounts, and a luxury watch were seized, with a total estimated value exceeding S$500,000 ($386,000) were seized. Electronic devices such as computers, mobile phones, and SIM cards were also seized by the police.
What’s next for the alleged illegal online gambling ring?
Four of the men will be charged in court on October 6, while police investigations are still ongoing against the remaining three men. The potential punishments for the charges levelled against the men include financial fines of up to S$500,000 and imprisonment of up to 10 years.
“The Singapore Police Force takes a serious view against all forms of illegal betting activities and will continue to take tough enforcement action and prosecute those involved to the fullest extent of the law, wherever they choose to operate,” said Deputy Director of CID, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SAC) Yeo Yee Chuan. “To counter transnational organised crime, the SPF will work closely with foreign counterparts to detect and deter these syndicates. Members of the public are advised to steer clear of all forms of illegal gambling.”
Featured image: Singapore Police Force
The post Singapore police arrest seven men for running illegal online betting games appeared first on ReadWrite.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
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