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Hong Kong Police yesterday (July 7) and today (July 8) smashed a large-scale, cross-border, illegal bookmaking syndicate in a joint operation codenamed "COPPERFLAME" mounted with Guangdong police.
Officers from the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, Narcotics Bureau, Commercial Crime Bureau and six regions have arrested 46 men and 18 women, aged from 32 to 62, at various locations in the territory since yesterday. They were arrested for offences including bookmaking and dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence.
During the operation in Hong Kong, Police arrested core members of the syndicate and seized about $70 million worth of soccer and horse racing betting records, about $770,000 in cash, 32 computers and an illegal bookmaking server.
Law enforcement officers from Guangdong Province also arrested 29 syndicate members, comprising six Hong Kong people and 23 Mainlanders. They were suspected of committing bookmaking related crimes. Officers seized betting records of around RMB7 billion and illegal gambling-related items.
Investigations also revealed that the syndicate had used more than 400 Hong Kong and Mainland bank accounts to launder crime proceeds. Hong Kong Police and Guangdong police will conduct financial investigations of these proceeds.
The operations are on-going.
Police are committed to combating illegal bookmaking activities through intelligence-led operations and liaison with neighboring enforcement agencies during the World Cup tournament. Police will strengthen enforcement to cut the sources of income of criminal gangs. Police urge anyone who has information on illegal betting to report to hotline 2527 7887.
Add Police Report No. 3
Ends/Thursday, July 8, 2010
Issued at HKT 19:04
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