Authorities in Singapore have arrested nine people in connection with an overseas gambling syndicate accused of targeting users during the FIFA World Cup.
According to The Straits Times, all nine have been accused of being involved with GemBet, a Curaçao-licensed operator that targets both Singapore and Malaysia.
Police said that six of those arrested allegedly used their national identity credentials to set up business entities and corporate bank accounts, enabling GemBet to facilitate transactions with players.
Three others acted as runners by assisting the syndicates in obtaining the bank accounts.
Raids by police took place between 22 and 24 July across multiple locations in Singapore. Seven men and two women, aged between 17 and 55, were arrested.
The authorities said they have identified nine corporate bank accounts linked to six shell companies and frozen more than $39,000 in suspected criminal proceeds.
If found guilty, punishments for the nine involved could include fines up to $10,000 and up to three years in prison, depending on the severity of their involvement.
The Police said in a statement: “The Police take a serious view of persons who sell or relinquish control of their personal or corporate bank accounts, business entities, SingPass credentials or other access credentials for use in criminal activities. These acts may facilitate illegal gambling, scams, money laundering and other criminal activities, and offenders will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law.
Singapore Pools is the only licensed operator in Singapore, and all other forms of gambling are illegal.
Despite this, the Singapore Police Force said that it arrested 60 people leading up to and during the FIFA World Cup, as well as took down over 600 illegal gambling websites, illegal gambling mobile applications and social media content promoting illegal gambling activities.
News of the arrests in Singapore comes as the United Nations released a report last week describing Southeast Asia’s online gambling sector as a multi-billion-dollar network that poses a ‘major financial crime challenge’ for lawmakers.
The report highlighted that online gambling prohibition across Southeast Asia, combined with the absence of appropriate enforcement, has accelerated the sector’s association with transnational crime groups.
The organisation also highlighted the role of social media in promoting illegal gambling platforms.
“Operators deploy sophisticated strategies that leverage social media platforms, influencer networks, mobile accessibility, and gamified interfaces to lower participation thresholds and normalise offshore gambling in jurisdictions where it remains prohibited,” said the UN.
“The systematic recruitment of social media influencers, particularly young women with substantial followings, appears to have become a core strategy for normalising gambling participation among youth audiences.”
