Taiwan authorities dismantle massive $300 million soccer wagering operation tied to the World Cup

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Police in Taiwan have seized more than $300 million in World Cup bets after busting an illegal online betting ring, authorities said on Thursday.

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Taiwan did not qualify for the World Cup, but many people on the sporting-mad island are football fans.

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Police raided a house in the southern city of Tainan on Wednesday, Tainan City Police Department’s Fourth Precinct said in a statement.

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They arrested eight people and seized computers, mobile phones, ledgers and cash, the statement said.

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Five of the eight people had travelled from Hong Kong and Macao on tourist visas for the World Cup betting operation.

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The outfit had allegedly raked in nearly NT$10 billion ($313 million) in bets on World Cup matches, police said.

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They had rented the five-storey house for the period of the tournament.

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AFP

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