1300 Football Gamblers Arrested in Asia

Police across Asia have made more than 1300 arrests in an operation led by the international police organization Interpol against illegal football gambling.

Operation Soga cont.
The operation, dubbed Operation Soga (Soccer Gambling) Wave II, was carried out by police forces from China - including Hong Kong and the gambling haven Macau - Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, and was designed to coincide with June's Euro 2008 football championships and the end of the season for most major football leagues.

Millions and billions
1088 gambling dens were raided during the two-month operation, with police seizing a total of $16.8 million and finding $1.45 billion worth of betting records.

The first Operation Soga was conducted in October and November 2007, but the new Operation Soga saw three times more arrests and the seizure of 25 times more cash than the original.

Mission accomplished
"The effect this operation has achieved is substantial, not only in terms of breaking up illegal gambling dens and criminal networks, but in demonstrating the impact that co-operation through Interpol internationally can have at the national and local levels," said Jean-Michel Louboutin, Executive Director of Police Services at the Lyon, France-based Interpol.

He added that the operation provided an excellent base for security cooperation with the Chinese police leading into the Beijing Olympics, which begin August 8.

Gambling legality
Betting on sports is restricted or banned in most countries in South-East Asia, although black market bookmakers exist even in places with more liberal gambling laws, such as the Chinese Special Administrative Region of Macau.