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Police conducted a large-scale anti-illegal bookmaking operation codenamed ¡§CROWBEAK¡¨ during the World Cup period between June 11 and July 12, resulting in the arrest of 235 persons and seizure of betting slips valued at $361 million.
Within the month-long intensified operational period, Police conducted licensed checks at 1,295 entertainment premises and searched a total of 139 locations. In 96 successful raids, 166 males and 69 females, aged between 16 and 79 years, were arrested, mainly for ¡§engaging in bookmaking¡¨, ¡§betting with a bookmaker¡¨ and ¡§dealing with proceeds known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence¡¨. In the operation, Police also seized betting slips amounting to $361 million, 77 computers and one computer server, and restrained assets valued at $34 million.
The number of successful raids, number of arrests and value of betting slips seized during the previous World Cup in 2006 were 99, 196 and $74.5 million respectively.
In this year¡¦s World Cup operation, there were two significant cross-boundary bookmaking cases jointly detected by Hong Kong Police and the Mainland Police:
(1) Operation ¡§ZONEBUILDER¡¨
Hong Kong Police (HKP) jointly neutralised a large-scale cross-boundary bookmaking syndicate with the Public Security Bureau (PSB), Shenzhen, on June 12. HKP arrested 30 persons, including core members of the syndicate, and seized betting slips valued at $66 million and $2.04 million in cash. PSB Shenzhen also arrested 45 persons, including the mastermind from Hong Kong, and seized betting slips valued at RMB47.5 million.
(2) Operation ¡§COPPERFLAME¡¨
HKP searched 52 locations within the territory on July 7 and 8, resulting in the arrest of 83 persons and seizure of $75.77 million worth of betting slips. PSB Guangdong also arrested 29 persons, including six Hong Kong citizens who were believed to be core members of a syndicate, and seized betting records of around RMB7 billion.
In the above two operations against illegal cross-boundary bookmaking, the betting slips seized by HKP amounted to $143.8 million, which was 40% of the total amount of betting slips ($361 million) seized during the whole of Operation CROWBEAK. The detection of the two cases was a result of the intelligence exchange and joint operations between HKP and PSB. Although in recent years bookmaking syndicates have engaged in cross-boundary operations to avoid Police detection, Police believe that the successful co-operation between HKP and PSB has had a strong deterrent effect on criminals. HKP will continue exchanging intelligence and co-operating with law enforcement agencies on the Mainland, in Macao and in overseas countries to combat illegal bookmaking activities.
HKP also neutralised a large-scale local horse racing and soccer bookmaking syndicate on June 27. In the operation, Police searched a unit inside an industrial building in Ngau Tau Kok, which was used as a bet-settling centre, and a satellite branch centre in a hotel room in Yau Ma Tei. Four persons, including the mastermind and core members of the syndicate, were arrested and betting slips valued at $170 million were seized.
Officers of the Police Technology Crime Division are currently examining the computers and server seized during the operations to investigate the identities of the bookmakers, agents and punters. In most of the cases, illegal bookmakers had used mobile phones and the Internet as platforms for receiving bets. With wider use of the Internet and the increasing number of Internet users, Police believe that more criminals will take advantage of this platform to commit crimes and Police will adopt appropriate measures in combating such crimes.
Moreover, Police also discovered that bookmakers and agents had continued to operate on a number of levels. Agents at lower levels, after receiving bets from punters, had referred bets to bookmakers at higher levels or even official betting companies, so as to reduce their risks or gain commission. Some bookmakers even used others¡¦ bank accounts to receive bets and handle crime proceeds in order to cover up their own identities. The Police Financial Investigation Division has initiated financial investigations of a number of arrested persons in order to recover crime proceeds and cut the sources of illegal income of criminal gangs.
Under the four-pronged-approach (prevention, education, intelligence and enforcement), Police also carried out the following preventive education campaigns before and during the World Cup period:
- Around 15,000 posters, 300 banners and 35,000 table-stand sleeves with anti-illegal bookmaking messages were displayed in entertainment premises, restaurants and strategic locations. Members of District Fight Crime Committees and District Councils supported and participated in the publicity campaigns;
- Police also liaised with the owners of entertainment premises and restaurants to prevent illegal bookmaking activities from occurring on their premises;
- To tackle Internet gambling, Police created an anti-illegal bookmaking webpage under its public page, with the hyperlink of the webpage distributed to schools in all districts through the Police Community Relations Offices. Over 120 schools placed the hyperlink on their websites, which helped greatly in spreading the anti-illegal gambling message;
- Under the ¡§multi-agency and multi-department¡¨ approach, Police had closely co-operated with the Home Affairs Bureau and the Ping Wo Fund to promote the message of anti-illegal gambling through game booths at Fun Fair and TV Programme;
- Police also produced a special ¡§Police Report¡¨ anti-illegal bookmaking TV episode which was broadcast in late May.
The Police are confident they have the capability to combat illegal bookmaking. Although the World Cup is over, Police will continue combating such bookmaking activities, cutting the sources of illegal income of criminal gangs and recovering crime proceeds.
Police Report No. 5
Ends/Friday, July 16, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:15
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