Cops bust online gambling ring, nab 17 suspects islandwide and seize $720k in cash
Fourteen men and three women between the ages of 45 and 76 were arrested simultaneously at various locations islandwide on Monday (July 6) in a police crackdown on illegal online gambling.More than $720,000 in cash, electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers, along with gambling-related items were seized.In a statement on Tuesday, the police said officers from the Criminal Investigation Department, the Police Intelligence Department and the Special Operations Command conducted the raids at multiple locations.The areas included Yishun, Ang Mo Kio, Toa Payoh, Potong Pasir, Changi, Pasir Ris, Bedok, Joo Chiat, Tampines, Kaki Bukit, West Coast, Bukit Batok and Choa Chu Kang.Four of the men, aged between 47 and 76, and one woman, 47, will be charged in court on Wednesday with gambling-related offences, said the police, while investigations against the remaining suspects are ongoing. Under the Gambling Control Act, the penalty for illegal betting operators is a fine of up to $500,000 along with a jail term of up to seven years.