Singapore : SPF joins Interpol in operation to combat illegal soccer gambling in Asia

Major news in <The Strait Times> : SPF joins Interpol in operation to combat illegal soccer gambling in Asia

By Bryna Sim

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has participated in an Interpol-coordinated operation, code-named Operation Soccer Gambling (Soga) IV.

The police in Singapore, across China (including Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR), Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam joined hands in the two-month long operation to combat illegal soccer gambling in Asia linked to organised crime gangs.

The operation – covering the final matches of major national football leagues across Europe, the Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) championships and Euro 2012 – consisted of over 200 raids on illegal gambling dens which were estimated to have handled around US$85 million (S$106.7 million) worth of bets, and the arrests of nearly 300 people and seizure of over US$780,000.

Our police has arrested a total of 74 subjects believed to be involved in illegal betting activities as part of this operation. The estimated value of the illegal bets collected by the syndicates were believed to total over S$7 million. 

news@theasian.asia