China baru-baru ini berjanji bahawa ia akan mendedikasikan lebih banyak sumber untuk menyasarkan operasi perjudian di negara itu. Korea Selatan membantu dalam usaha itu, membongkar sebuah organisasi besar yang dilaporkan memindahkan sekitar $3.9 bilion dari Korea Selatan ke China.
Patung Raja Sejong
Patung Raja Sejong di Seoul, Korea Selatan pada waktu malam. Polis Korea Selatan membongkar operasi perjudian haram besar-besaran pada hujung Pengeluaran SDY minggu lalu yang aktif di China. (Imej: Flickr)
Hanya sebulan yang lalu, China telah menurunkan cincin perjudian haram yang besar yang dilaporkan membasuh kira-kira $6 bilion secara keseluruhan. Itu hanyalah sebahagian kecil daripada apa yang digelar “Tindakan 100 Hari” terhadap sektor perjudian.
The latest exercise in that initiative primarily operated in South Korea, though the group’s headquarters was reportedly in China. South Korean authorities arrested a number of locals, with more arrests coming.
Hundreds Face Detention
This past Sunday, Incheon law enforcement carried out a raid of a local illegal gambling property that ended with the arrest of several suspects. The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency (IMPA) reported that the group targeted South Korean gamblers, but maintained its servers in China.
The group reportedly made as much as $3.9 billion from its operations. The police arrested 20 people, but more will fall. Authorities are reportedly investigating Singapore Prize another 171, some of whom could ultimately face charges.
As with China’s recent crackdowns, it took a long time for the authorities to zero in on the gang’s locations. The IMPA reported that the group had been conducting its illegal operations since at least January 2014, but managed to avoid detection.
They stayed hidden by constantly relocating their headquarters. Making detection more difficult, the illegal network was also able to freely shift its operations between China and South Korea, which allowed it to stay below the radar.
South Korea allows gambling, but mostly for foreigners: the Kangwon Land casino is the exception. The country wants to increase its casino market, although companies that were going to build new properties are having trouble finding the money.
Gambling Crackdown Continues
China has been trying for years to push its anti-gambling views on the rest of the world. It has succeeded in some instances, especially in places like Cambodia and Malaysia.
It has also sought to force countries like the Philippines to follow its command, although it hasn’t had as much luck. The Philippines has maintained its gambling industry because of the revenue it provides, although it’s taking action against Philippine Online Gaming Operators (POGO).
This is the result of China’s intervention, but only to a certain point. The licensed POGO market, which has targeted Chinese gamblers, remains intact, while the Philippines works to eradicate illegal companies that claim to be part of the ecosystem.
Di samping pendekatan luarannya, China juga mengambil tindakan keras di dalam negeri. Ia memberi ganjaran kepada warganya kerana menyerahkan orang lain yang menyertai perjudian haram.
Di samping itu, negara memberi insentif kepada mereka yang sebelum ini menghadapi masalah untuk memberikan bantuan. Mereka boleh membersihkan nama mereka jika mereka menyerahkan orang lain yang terlibat dalam aktiviti itu.
Usaha kerajaan tidak selalu membuahkan hasil dengan cepat. Seperti yang Totohk ditunjukkan oleh serbuan baru-baru ini, campur tangan kadangkala boleh mengambil masa beberapa tahun.
China tidak mahu melihat sebarang jenis perjudian dalam mana-mana bidang kuasa yang mempunyai pengaruh. Kini setelah orang Cina memilih untuk mengekalkan Xi Jinping berkuasa, pegawai kerajaan tahu apa yang diharapkan. Ini mungkin bermakna pendekatan yang lebih ketat, dengan lebih banyak serbuan dan tangkapan akan datang.
