More than 5,000 people have been taken into custody in a crackdown on illegal World Cup gambling in Asia, where police raided hundreds of betting dens, international police agency Interpol said on Friday.
Interpol coordinated the operation in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and China, including Hong Kong and Macao. Police also seized $10 million in the operation targeting gambling linked to organized crime.
"As well as having clear connections to organized crime gangs, illegal soccer gambling is also linked with corruption, money laundering and prostitution," the Lyon based organization's No 2 official Jean Michel Louboutin said.
The operation "will have a significant long term impact on these serious offenses as well," he said.
Police raided nearly 800 illegal gambling dens that dealt with bets of more than $155 million, Interpol said in a statement. The operation ran from June 11 to July 11.
Police also confiscated cars, bank cards, computers and cell phones, and the materials "will now be reviewed and analyzed to determine the potential involvement of other individuals or gangs across the region and beyond," Interpol said.