Police in Zhejiang province, East China, have dismantled a significant cross-regional online gambling network operating through the popular local messaging app WeChat. Over 40 suspects linked to the network have been arrested.
The authorities state that nearly a thousand people from across the country participated in the illegal operation. The police confiscated numerous items during the raids, including computers, mobile phones, bank cards, and luxury cars. The criminals were involved in transactions totaling about $139 million (1 billion yuan).
The suspects organized online WeChat groups to broadcast gambling games, such as "On Lumine," where participants bet on the outcome of drawing fortune-telling sticks. One group, led by a 39-year-old man named Ma from Hubei and Sichuan provinces, was particularly active. Participants made bets through online transfers during the live broadcasts, receiving their winnings directly to their bank accounts.
Ma and his accomplices are accused of making profits exceeding 40 million yuan in the first half of 2023 alone, which they spent on luxury items.
