Large-scale operation to combat organised crimes and illegal soccer bookmaking

Police have dealt a heavy blow to organised crimes with particular focus on soccer bookmaking in a proactive operation which was conducted between June 7 and July 9.

Speaking at a press conference, the Chief Superintendent of Organised Crime and Traid Bureau (OCTB), Mr Choy Kin-cheung said the 33-day operation with the codename "Thunderbolt" was mounted following detailed planning and exchange of intelligence with Guangdong and Macau law-enforcement agencies.

Mr Choy said in anticipation of an increase in soccer bookmaking activities during the World Cup period, the tripartie decided to launch the joint operation to counter with triads and crimes, with particular focus on anti soccer bookmaking.

"In this connection, operation codnamed 'Crowbeak' was also concurrently carried out to combat soccer bookmaking activities within the same period," Mr Choy explained.

In the course of "Operation Thunderbolt" in fighting against triads and crimes, law enforcement officers searched a total of 4,625 premises including discos, game centres, massage parlours and residential units, resulting in the smashing of 44 vice establishments, 37 gambling dens, two smoking divans while 873 men and 889 women were arrested.

In the operation, law enforcement officers also seized more than 300 grams of heroin, about 530 grams of "Ice", 299 tablets of Triazolam, 777 grams of Ketamine, 1,130 grams of cannabis and about 275 grams of cocaine. In addition, a number of offensive weapons were seized including 59 knives.

About 182,596 pieces of obscene and pirated optical discs, 15,069 litres of marked oil, 353,757 sticks of contraband cigarette and 9,474 counterfeit handbags were also seized.

Turning to combating soccer bookmaking activities, Mr Choy said Police managed to arrest a total of 192 suspected bookmakers during 97 successful raids out of 189 total raids. In the operation, betting slips worth about 71 million were seized, 57 illegal websites for soccer bookmaking were uncovered and eight related servers were seized.

"As far as we know, both the Guangdong Public Security Bureau and Macau Judiciary Police have also achieved excellent results in tackling illegal soccer bookmaking activities," Mr Choy said.

Mr Choy also pointed out that there were a number of successful cases as a result of good international cooperation. Citing some examples, Mr Choy said that for instance, a joint operation was carried out on June 13 by the Hong Kong Police, New South Wales Police in Australia and the Royal Malaysian Police where an international soccer bookmaking syndicate was smashed.

The Police in Australia arrested eight persons and seized cash AUD$20,000, three laptop computers, 12 mobile phones, suspected betting slips with face value over $10 million and a lot of soccer bookmaking related documents. The Hong Kong Police also took action at the same time and arrested four members of the syndicate and seized betting records with face value at HK$720,000.

Acting on intelligence from Hong Kong, Macau Judiciary Police searched five premises suspecting of operating illegal soccer gambling in Macau between June 22 and 27. As a result, a total of 19 persons were arrested with betting slips worth $400 million were seized.

Based on the information provided by the OCTB, the Public Security Bureau in Shenzhen raided two residential premises in Shenzhen in the early hours this morning and arrested two men. One of the premises was believed to be the accounting centre of the syndicate in Shenzhen. Officers of the OCTB also raided a premises in Sha Tau Kok and arrested two men who were in connection with the case in Shenzen. In the arrest, betting records to the value of over HK$600,000 were also seized.

"Apart from that, we also provided information to overseas law enforcement agencies about 200 illegal soccer gambling websites registered in six different countries so that our overseas counterparts could take follow up action," Mr Choy said.

"Under the effective intelligence exchange mechanism amongst the tripartite, we have effectively deterred and detected many serious triad acts. In view of the results over the past joint operations, we believe that mounting joint operation to tackle with triads is the most effective way of smashing triad criminals in the three regions," he said.

"Operations Thunderbolt and Crowbeak on this occasion have also extended the scope of co-operation for the tripartite. In addition, we have earned the support of a number of neighbouring countries and regions which certainly will enhance the capability of the tripartite in the fight against triads and soccer bookmaking activities in future," he added.

Police Report No.12

Issued by PPRB

Ends/Monday, July 10, 2006