45 arrests in US$40m Taiwan betting ring scandal
Print Edition
TAIWAN police have arrested 45 people involved in a betting ring worth more than US$40 million a year. It included wagers on upcoming elections, officials said, adding that the racket could have influenced voting.
Police launched raids at 31 venues across the island over the weekend and made the arrests on charges of gambling and obstructing votes, prosecutors said yesterday.
“As the ring had so many posts islandwide and so many gamblers were involved, we fear that the gambling could influence the outcome of the election,” said Wang Yi-wen, spokesman for the Taoyuan Prosecutors’ Office.
Taiwan holds leadership and legislature elections on January 16.
Gambling is banned in Taiwan, apart from lotteries run by authorized banks. But there is a vast underground network involving private casinos, pigeon racing and bets linked to Hong Kong horse racing.
Investigators said gamblers were betting on the outcome of the elections as well as on sports and on an illegal lottery, using phone and fax lines, mobile phones and online.
They estimated around NT$1.4 billion (US$42.4 million) had been wagered through the ring last year.
The alleged ringleader was named as Lin Shih-yuan and remains in custody. Fifteen others have been bailed and 29 more released under restrictions, prosecutors said.
Wang said the crackdown was part of efforts to fight election gambling, vote-buying and violence, which have dogged politics in Taiwan.
Government figures showed that before local elections in 2014 more than 2,400 people were investigated for vote-buying — both candidates and supporters and mostly in rural locations.
According to prosecution statistics, 601 people are currently being investigated for vote-buying in 337 cases related to January’s vote.
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