26 April, Beijing: A total of 99 suspects were arrested for online gambling in China and the Philippines by law enforcers of the two countries, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said on Wednesday.
Four gambling websites have been closed in the crackdown, while over 1,100 bank accounts and more than 70 million yuan (10.16 million U.S. dollars) of illicit gains have been frozen, according to the MPS.
The suspects, 55 of whom were returned to China from the Philippines on Tuesday, were believed to have been involved in a major cross-border online gambling case, which saw them illegally earn nearly 600 million yuan by setting up online casinos in the Philippines to attract gamblers from China.
It is the first cross-border online gambling case jointly handled by the Chinese police and their foreign counterpart since China decided to crack down on such crimes.
The MPS will continue to intensify its investigation and handling of such cases and will also look to strengthen international cooperation in its efforts, it said.
China has been highlighting its crackdown on cross-border gambling recently. On March 28, Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun called for stronger action against the problem, underscoring the need to raise awareness about illegal gambling. Xinhua
