More details released on major Taiwan online gambling bust

Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) has released more details on the major online bust over the weekend (see previous report), revealing that a total of 52 persons have now been arrested and cash valued at NT$2 billion (US$60.49 million) has been seized.

A CIB spokesman said that the operation had been under surveillance by CIB operatives for “a long time” and that the raids on 55 locations across the island had necessitated the mobilisation of over 300 officers.

The raids had involved the use of a M-Police app at the CIB special command centre to coordinate CIB and local police efforts in the massive operation, the spokesman said.

Police named the ring leader of the enterprise as 35-year-old Kao Hung-yu, who is being held in custody and has admitted to operating an illegal online gambling network.

According to local media reports, the online gambling ring was operating via a cloud system set up in Subic Bay in the Philippines.