China reports shut down of four illegal online gambling sites

The arrest and deportation of 55 Chinese nationals in the Philippines (see previous reports) has apparently led to a wider investigation, more arrests and the shut down of four illegal online gambling sites in China, the Xinhua news agency reports.

A total of 99 suspects were arrested for online gambling in China and the Philippines by law enforcers of the two countries, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) revealed in a statement Wednesday.

Four gambling websites have been closed in the crackdown, while over 1,100 bank accounts and more than 70 million yuan (US$ 10.16 million) of illicit gains have been frozen, according to the MPS.

The suspects, 55 of whom were returned to China from the Philippines on Tuesday, were believed to have been involved in a major cross-border online gambling case, which saw them illegally earn nearly 600 million yuan by setting up online casinos in the Philippines to attract gamblers from China.

The Ministry says this is the first cross-border online gambling case jointly handled by the Chinese police and their foreign counterpart in the Philippines since the Chinese government decided to crack down on such crimes.

A spokesman for the MPS said the Ministry will intensify its investigation and handling of such cases and will also look to strengthen international cooperation.

China has been highlighting its crackdown on cross-border gambling recently. On March 28, Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun called for stronger action against the problem, underscoring the need to raise awareness about illegal gambling.

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