Chinese Anti – Gambling Campaigns Lead to Police Raid on Cemetery and Arrest of an Octogenarian

(AsiaGameHub) –   Authorities in Hong Kong and various Mainland Chinese provinces are intensifying their efforts against illicit gambling in public areas, resulting in numerous arrests across multiple operations.

According to China.com, a Chinese media source, Hong Kong police initiated an operation on April 16 to dismantle an unlawful street gambling syndicate operating in Kwai Chung.

Law enforcement officials reported the apprehension of four Hong Kong residents at the location. All suspects are male, ranging in age from 68 to 82.

Investigators confirmed the confiscation of gambling equipment and an unspecified sum of money during the raid.

The individuals arrested are scheduled to appear jointly at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts on April 30.

Gambling Enforcement in China

Concurrently, within Hangzhou province, the provincial Public Security Bureau disclosed that Xindeng police utilized drone technology to locate and detain a group believed to be engaged in gambling at a hillside pavilion situated within a public cemetery.

Authorities stated that 13 individuals were apprehended, and gambling funds totaling 10,000 yuan (approximately $1,470) were seized. Various gambling implements were also confiscated by officers at the site.

Investigators indicated that the suspects selected the location due to its secluded and inaccessible nature. However, after police observed a suspicious gathering at the pavilion on April 14, a drone was deployed.

Within five minutes, officers reported, the drone transmitted “clear images of multiple individuals assembled in the pavilion, placing wagers.”

Law enforcement officials confirmed that all suspects have been charged with offenses related to gambling, adding that their investigation remains ongoing.

The Emergence of “Forest Gambling”

Throughout China, police forces are reportedly combating a significant increase in what is termed “forest gambling.”

This practice generally entails groups of gamblers arranging to convene in secluded, predominantly rural locations. Participants purportedly hold the belief that unlawful gambling is secure when conducted in areas not typically patrolled by police.

However, Chinese police assert that they now possess a wide array of drone-enabled technologies assisting them in identifying groups of gamblers in forested regions, derelict structures, lakeside retreats, and mountainous terrains.

Furthermore, certain police agencies have deployed small teams of officers to conduct daily foot patrols in remote and semi-rural locales.

These patrols primarily monitor activities within small, confined village pathways and dense woodland areas to counteract the proliferation of “forest gambling” operations.