THOUSANDS IN ASIA HELD OVER WORLD CUP BETS

16.07.2010 [16:02]
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Baku July 16 (AZERTAC). More than 5,000 people have arrested across Asia as part of a World Cup operation against illegal gambling, police say.

Almost $10m was seized during the crackdown in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, the international police force Interpol said. Police in those countries "identified and raided nearly 800 illegal gambling dens", Interpol announced. The dens handled more than $155m worth of bets, it added. During Operation Soga III, which ran from 11 June to 11 July, police seized assets including cars, bank cards, computers and mobile phones. The crackdown would also have a long term impact on organised crime gangs, Interpol`s chief of police services, Jean-Michel Louboutin said.

"The results we have seen are impressive, not only in the number of arrests and seizures made across the region in just one month, but in terms of the police co-operation which made this possible." He added that the operation had also been a blow to corruption, money laundering and prostitution, given that football gambling had clear connections to these offences.

THOUSANDS IN ASIA HELD OVER WORLD CUP BETS

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