SINGAPORE, Nov 28 ― Thirty-three people have been arrested in one of Singapore’s largest-scale operations against a criminal syndicate, police said in a statement today.
The criminal syndicate was allegedly operating several illegal online betting websites facilitating lottery and horse betting, said the police. It was also established that the group included networks of agents and punters betting through their websites and members facilitating the syndicate’s activities by registering the betting websites, performing network support, collecting monies or tallying accounts. The suspects are believed to have received bets amounting to more than an estimated S$2 million (RM6.3 million) in the past month.
Yesterday, simultaneous raids were conducted at more than 30 locations islandwide, including Bedok, Bishan, Choa Chu Kang, Hougang, Serangoon, Tampines and Yishun, resulting in the arrests.
During the operation, around S$1.3 million in cash was seized, alongside an array of computers, mobile phones, fax machines and other documents such as betting records. The Police also initiated the freezing of the suspects’ bank accounts, with cash amounting to about S$6.5 million, and 36 properties with an estimated value of about S$39 million.
Investigations against all the suspects are ongoing for offences under the Organised Crime Act 2015 and the Remote Gambling Act 2014. The group was comprised of 24 men and 9 women, aged between 24 and 69.
This is the first organised criminal group that the Police are investigating under the Organised Crime Act, which stipulates that any person who is or acts as a member of locally-linked organised criminal group could go to jail for up to five years, or face a fine not exceeding than S$100,000, or both.
Additionally under the Remote Gambling Act 2014, any person who provides a Singapore-based remote gambling service shall be liable on conviction to a fine of betweeen S$20,000 and $500,000, or a jail term up of up to seven years, or both. ― TODAY
