Shanghai police bust World Cup gambling gang

Shanghai police have busted an online soccer gambling gang of 14 involving more than 400 million yuan (US$60 million), officers said over the weekend.

So far eight have been detained for running a gambling ring as investigation continues.

According to police, in April this year, officers in Jinshan District noticed that a man they caught for another case was also under suspicion of online soccer gambling. After investigation, police found the man frequently contacted another man living in Minhang District, surnamed Li.

While verifying Li's identity, officers detected that Li had some money transfers with a loan company and shared gambling accounts with other netizens.

Since the World Cup was approaching at the time, Jinshan police then set up a team and learned it was a gang behind the unlicensed loan company that provided gambling services via an overseas website.

On June 14, local officers raided the gang members' residences in Jinshan, Yangpu, Minhang, Putuo districts and some other areas, nabbing 14 suspects, more than 100,000 yuan in bets, ten computers and 20-plus bank cards.

The suspects told police that disguising themselves as a loan provider, they opened accounts on an overseas gambling site and put money into the accounts. Members of the gang would take part of the gamblers' bets as profit.