Officials from the Criminal Investigation Bureau stated that authorities have cracked down on a large online gambling organization in Neihu District, Taipei, which primarily served Chinese customers, arresting 31 executives and employees of an IT company.
The bureau announced at a press conference that the company, registered as Qi Nuo Technology, was founded in 2021 and is an IT and software service company. The heads of the company are a man in his 30s from Mainland China, Mr. Li, and his Taiwanese wife, Mrs. Lin.
Captain He Jiaxuan of the bureau's first detective team said that the couple, who were previously software engineers, employed over 100 people to build a casino website system that offers poker, mahjong, and other games for betting and gambling.
"In addition to online poker and casino games, they also provided a sports betting website. Customers could place bets on the European Football Championship, Olympic events, and various international sports leagues. People could also bet on card games and some niche games that are not very popular in Taiwan but are very popular in China," said He.
The bureau displayed computers, servers, telecommunications equipment, mobile phones, and other items seized during a raid on the company's office.
Mr. He stated that CIB investigators had been monitoring online platforms and gaming websites since last year, discovering illegal gambling sites such as Zun Long Entertainment City and four other online sites operated by Care Well Technology.
"From last year to the beginning of this year, we have been monitoring the company's online gambling and cash flow. Our department and other CIB investigators were surprised to find that customers, mainly Chinese, had bet a total of 120 billion New Taiwan Dollars (approximately 3.72 billion US dollars) in just four months," Mr. He said.
Officials stated that the investigation revealed that the couple received a commission of 140,000 US dollars per month from a parent gaming company under the guise of "customer service."
Officials mentioned that the parent company is a larger enterprise headquartered in the Philippines, operating five major online casino sites mainly targeting Chinese and Southeast Asian customers.
Mr. He noted that records show that to meet the high demand, Care Well Technology has been expanding its business over the past few years and has been advertising to recruit IT engineers and customer service staff proficient in Chinese, English, and Japanese.
After a period of surveillance and evidence gathering, investigators raided the company's office and arrested 31 executives and employees, who were listed as suspects after being interrogated by Taipei prosecutors.
Officials from the bureau stated that if the suspects are charged as members of a transnational criminal organization and found to be involved in money laundering, they could face additional charges.
