Macao police transfer suspects to procurators over gambling crimes

Police in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) display the evidence in Macao, south China, Nov. 28, 2021. Police in China's Macao SAR on Sunday detained 11 people suspected of being involved in illegally running gambling businesses or money laundering, and referred the case to procurators. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)

MACAO, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Police in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Sunday detained 11 people suspected of being involved in illegally running gambling businesses or money laundering, and referred the case to procurators.

The suspects included a 47-year-old businessperson with the surname of Chau, the Judiciary Police under the Macao SAR government said at a press conference.

The suspects confessed to setting up gambling platforms overseas and serving as agents for betting via phone calls, according to the Judiciary Police. However, they refused to cooperate on investigations of other allegations.

The Judiciary Police started investigating the case in 2019 and found that a criminal group from Macao headed by Chau set up gambling platforms overseas, invited mainland residents to engage in online gambling, and laundered illegal gains through clandestine networks.