Arrests in China over illegal gambling ring

Fifty-six persons are in the hands of police in eastern China for allegedly engaging in illegal online gambling.

The suspects, according to reports by the official Xinhua news agency, were involved in a 7.8 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) online gambling ring.

They have since been accused of making illegal earnings of 650 million yuan from a Philippines-based platform. The platform, according to the news agency’s police source in Jiangsu province, has over 114,000 users.

Authorities launched an investigation into the gambling website after a tip-off in January 2016. According to the report, four of the prime suspects were found out through their bank card information.

The Jiangsu police have however refused comment with calls to the station remaining unanswered.

Laws in mainland China forbid casino gambling, hence, gamblers have to travel all the way to the special administrative region of Macau that borders southern China’s Guangdong province to pursue their gambling activities.

In recent times police have launched attacks on illegal gamblers causing several arrests. The police arrested 50 online gambling suspects in Fujian, Guangdong, Shanghai, and Zhejiang. The remaining six turned themselves in prior to their return from the Philippines.

The suspects have since been transferred for prosecution.