Official Chinese media outlet CCTV reported that the Chinese Ministry of Public Security has detected a “mega cross-border online gambling case” and arrested 93 suspects on the mainland. The case involves a total of RMB 725.5 billion (US$100.8 billion).
According to CCTV, Sichuan police recently announced the large-scale cross-border online gambling case under the responsibility of the Ministry of Public Security. Operating under an online gambling platform called “CAGAYAN”, the server was set up in the Philippines with the main clientele being residents of mainland China. There were more than 50,000 agents of Chinese nationality, and the platform had close to 1 million members.
The Ministry of Public Security said the online gambling platform was promoted on the mainland to attract Chinese nationals to register as members and then persuade them to inject funds into the platform.
Based on the investigation conducted by the Ministry, there were more than 300 persons involved in the operation of the platform. They had recruited Chinese nationals to work in the Philippines with high salaries on the grounds of hotel services. After these Chinese nationals arrive in the Philippines, the platform’s staff would train them to accept online gambling jobs and become core members of the online gambling platform.
The Ministry pointed out that in 2023, authorities launched an operation to arrest some of those involved in the operation when they returned to China for vacation. in June 2023, mainland police divided into several groups and carried out operations in more than 20 provinces including Henan, Hebei and Hunan. They ultimately arrested 93 people and seized a number of cell phones and bank cards from them.
The investigation found that the platform had a running account of RMB 725.5 billion.
Online gambling has always been illegal on the mainland, and overseas operators are not permitted to conduct any promotional activities targeting mainland customers. In recent years, the government has increased its focus on cracking down on such activities, with online gambling among the crimes former Suncity Group chairman Alvin Chau was accused of when arrested in late 2021.
Chau was last year sentenced to 18 years in prison.
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