Eleven alleged members of a multimillion-dollar online gambling syndicate, which is said to have collected S$2 million in bets in the past month alone, were charged on Tuesday (29 November) with offences under the Remote Gambling Act and Common Gaming Houses Act.
According to the Police, 33 suspects, 24 men and nine women, aged between 24 and 69, who are members of the syndicate were arrested after officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and the Police Intelligence Department carried out multiple simultaneous raids, from Choa Chu Kang to Tampines, on Sunday.
The Police seized S$1.3 million in cash, as well as and an array of computers, mobile phones, fax machines and documents, such as betting records, and froze another S$6.5 million held in several bank accounts. The Police also seized 36 properties, with an estimated value of about $39 million, that this gambling syndicate the suspects belonged to allegedly had.
Nine men and two women who were charged yesterday are Ow Choon Bok, 40; See Chye Huat, 49; Seet Seo Boon, 52; Lim Beng Tiong, 52; Lean Kay Cheong, 60; Seet Seow Huat, 61;Seah Ee Lam, 66; Seet Siau Khuang, 67; Seet Sian Thian, 68; Tok Poh Ling, 47; and See Mui Khim, 52.
The accused will be remanded at Central Police Division for one week to assist in investigations.
They were accused of offences such as for collecting lottery stakes, receiving and placing bets on an illegal website, and depositing money paid by others in remote facility.
The Police said that the syndicate is believed to have been operating several illegal online betting websites for lottery and horse racing and it had networks of agents and punters betting through the syndicate’s websites, performing network support, collecting monies or tallying accounts for the group.
Their cases will be mentioned again next Tuesday.
Under the Organised Crime Act, any person involved in a Singapore-linked OCG could be fined up to S$100,000 and jailed up to five years.
Under the Remote Gambling Act, those who provide a Singapore-based remote gambling service could be liable for a fine of between S$20,000 and S$500,000 and be jailed for a maximum of seven years.
