Anti-illegal Bookmaking Operation a resounding success
During a one-month operation codenamed "CROWBEAK" against World Cup illegal bookmaking activities, the Force conducted licence checks on 1 295 entertainment premises and searched 139 locations. In the operation, 96 raids were carried out successfully, with 235 persons, comprising 166 males and 69 females aged between 16 and 79, arrested mainly for "Engaging in Bookmaking", "Betting with a Bookmaker" and "Dealing with Proceeds Known or Believed to Represent Proceeds of an Indictable Offence".
In addition, betting slips with a value of $361 million, 77 sets of computers and a computer server were seized and assets valued at $34 million were restrained.
The Chairman of the Force Working Group on Anti-illegal Bookmaking for FIFA World Cup 2010, Superintendent (SP) Man Tat-shing of Organised Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB), pointed out that the results of the operation were "very encouraging", with the value of betting slips seized being four times the figure for the operation conducted during World Cup 2006. He attributed the success of Operation "CROWBEAK" to officers' execution of an intelligence-led strategy by proactively collecting intelligence on illegal bookmaking activities. Moreover, the Force had strengthened intelligence exchanges with the law enforcement agencies outside Hong Kong, particularly the Mainland, and had mounted joint operations against cross-boundary illegal bookmaking activities.
During the World Cup period, the Force and the Mainland jointly cracked two cross-boundary illegal bookmaking cases involving major syndicates. On June 12 and July 7 and 8, OCTB and the Mainland respectively conducted two operations codenamed "ZONEBUILDER" and "COPPERFLAME". In the operations, both sides simultaneously raided various locations in Hong Kong and the Mainland. On its part, the Force arrested 113 persons and seized betting slips with a value of $143.8 million, which was 40 percent of the total value of $361 million of the betting slips seized during the whole Operation "CROWBEAK".
Although illegal bookmaking syndicates operated in a cross-boundary manner in recent years to avoid police detection, SP Man continued, the co-operation between the Force and the Mainland was a strong deterrent for criminals. "The Force will continue exchanging intelligence and co-operating with the law enforcement agencies in the Mainland, Macau and overseas countries in combating illegal bookmaking activities," he noted.
On July 22, the Force Working Group held a meeting to review the initiatives under the four-pronged-approach comprising prevention, education, intelligence and enforcement, with a view to improving future operational plans. "The fight against illegal bookmaking is a long-term and ongoing job. The Force will continue adopting the four-pronged-approach in tackling illegal bookmaking activities," SP Man concluded.
Members
of
the Force Working Group on Anti-illegal Bookmaking have done a good
job