China arrests 32,000 people involved in cross-border gambling, fraud crimes

In 2023, 35,000 illegal crossings were reported by Chinese authorities, which led to the arrest of almost 32,000 persons involved in fraud and gaming across international borders.

The National Immigration Administration said that criminal gangs associated with organizations that fooled Chinese people had been eliminated from northern Myanmar for their phone and internet scams.

This resulted in the resolution of 391,000 crimes linked to telecommunications from the previous year and the arrest of 79,000 persons who were allegedly involved in cyber scams.

China participated in international law enforcement activities with Thailand, the Philippines, and Cambodia. In 2023, China punished 65,000 foreigners who entered, remained, or worked in the nation illegally and detained 109,000 people for border infractions. 26,000 of the immigrants who were authorized were deported.

Wang Xiaohong, the minister of public security for China, emphasized the need of a vigorous campaign against online gambling, calling for more focus, increased effort, and enhanced collaboration. Eliminating gaming dens and supply chains, creating preventive and surveillance measures, and keeping up with the rise in transnational gambling offenses are the top priorities.

In 2021, a nationwide campaign against online gambling was launched, leading to the prosecution of illicit activities. There has also been an anti-gaming campaign in Macau, a Chinese outpost where gambling is legal, which has resulted in the shutdown of junkets that run VIP rooms. This year, Macau has reduced the number of authorized junkets by half, to a total of 18.

Original story by: Asia Gaming Brief