ID :
246400
Thu, 07/05/2012 - 05:48
Auther :

Police nab 100 Euro 2012 bookies with bets worth US$16 million

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 (Bernama) -- Spain was not the only winner at the Euro 2012 which ended last Sunday. In a two-month nationwide operation dubbed 'Ops Soga', police detained 100 football bookies and seized bets estimated at RM49.9 million (about US$15.8 million) in a blitz that began on May 1 and ended last Monday. Federal CID director Mohd Bakri Zinin said the suspects comprised 83 men and 17 women aged between 20 to 65 and included two Singaporeans and two Indonesians. Several items including computers, mobile phones, bookie papers, calculators and RM78,160 in cash were also seized in the raid. "Our success was due to the cooperation and exchange of information with our counterparts from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam," Mohd Bakri told a press conference on Wednesdsay. "All countries involved will send reports to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) in Bangkok, Thailand. The Malaysian authorities have also cooperated with other enforcement agencies and the Football Association of Malaysia other than FIFA." Mohd Bakri said the police were successful in 61 out of a total of 148 raids nationwide. "Johor recorded the highest number of arrests and bets amounting to RM14.1 million (US$4.5 million). We have launched investigations under the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2001 and identified the syndicates linked to the bookies," he added. -- BERNAMA

X