Photo: Courtesy of China's Ministry of Public Security

Photo: Courtesy of China's Ministry of Public Security

China's public security authority has cracked down on 257 criminal cases and arrested more than 11,500 suspects since they launched a campaign against illegal cross-border gambling on February 28, China's Ministry of Public Security announced on Monday.

In its campaign against cross-border gambling and related crimes, ranging from telecommunication fraud, money laundering, kidnapping, abduction, trafficking and human smuggling, the ministry has destroyed 368 gambling platforms, 148 criminal groups, 187 underground banks and other financial institutions, and confiscated 229 billion yuan ($32.4b) 

A large number of gambling suspects were put on the entry and exit blacklist, the authority said.

The Ministry of Public Security closed more than 27,000 bank accounts involved in cross-border gambling and telecom or internet fraud, and worked with other regulatory authorities to investigate more than 200 employees of banks and market regulators.

Among the typical cases the ministry published, some overseas casinos recruited customers to gamble in China, while others organized gambling abroad. Some also provided technical support, including financial settlement services, for cross-border gambling crimes. 

On April 26, police in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Vietnamese police arrested more than 100 suspects. The suspects allegedly hired an operator to run a gambling platform remotely in Vietnam, and organized gambling participants on platforms, including WeChat and Alipay recharge and bank card transfers. Vietnamese police helped arrest and hand over eight of them.

Ministry of Public Security officials said cross-border gambling has seriously harmed economic security, social stability and the country's image, leading public security authorities to insist on "zero tolerance."

They have urged the public to recognize the deceptive nature and serious harm of cross-border gambling, consciously resist gambling abroad through digital platforms, and constantly improve their preventive awareness and ability. The authority said it encourages reports of related crimes.

Global Times