Taiwan busts online gambling syndicate

Taiwan’s cybercrime police unit have busted another illegal online gambling ring falsely claiming to be connected to a Macau casino operator.

The telecom division of Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) announced last week the arrest of 29 individuals suspected of involvement in an illegal online gambling operation that catered primarily to customers in mainland China and other Asia-Pacific markets.

Acting on a tip, police raided an office complex in Taichung City where they discovered a major online gambling software design and technical support service. Police seized 57 computers, 102 monitors, 12 mobile phones, a number of bank cards and the equivalent of around $20,000 in various currencies.

The online gambling operations had falsely suggested a connection to the Sands Macao casino, via the use of the property’s logo. It also featured images of the Galaxy Macau property.

Macau casino operators routinely find their brands abused by online gambling sites.

According to gambling news website Calvin Ayre, Taiwan has a growing reputation as a tech support hub for China-facing online gambling operations. In September, the CIB disrupted what they described as a “one-stop industrial chain” for several large online gambling sites that reportedly handled a combined annual turnover of $700 million. DB/Calvin Ayre