The Singapore Police Force has participated in an INTERPOL coordinated operation, codenamed Operation SOGA (SOGA is the abbreviation for Soccer Gambling) III. The operation has resulted in over 600 raids in locations panning across Asia, including arrests of more than 4000 people and seizure of over USD $9 million dollars and a quarter of a billion dollars' worth of bets were uncovered.

Police across China (including Hong Kong and Macao), Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand joined hands in the month-long operation, covering the 2010 FIFA World Cup competition, to combat illegal soccer gambling in Asia linked to organised crime gangs.

The Singapore Police Force has arrested a total of 52 subjects believed to be involved in illegal betting activities. The estimated value of the illegal bets collected by the syndicates were believed to total over SGD$1.6 million. Besides cash, Police have also seized computers, laptops, modems, routers, mobile phones, thumbdrives and other items believed to be used to facilitate illegal betting activities. Investigations against the 52 subjects are in progress.

Ops SOGA was first conducted in 2007 while a Ops SOGA II was in 2008. In total, the combined three SOGA operations have resulted in nearly 7,000 arrests, seizure of more than USD 26 million and the closure of illegal gambling dens which handled more than billion dollars’ worth of bets.

Assistant Director of the Specialised Crime Division, CID, Superintendent of Police Goh Lam Kiong, said, “These series of operations show that we are serious about clamping down illegal gambling activities. We will come down hard on subjects regardless of whether they are individuals betting illegally or are part of a syndicate collecting illegal bets. In addition, our enforcement actions will continue even though the 2010 FIFA World Cup competition is over.

Under the Betting Act, Chapter 21, any person who bets with a bookmaker is liable on conviction to a fine up to a maximum of $5,000, or to imprisonment of up to a maximum of six months, or both. Any person who is found to be involved in bookmaking is liable on conviction to a fine between $20,000 and $200,000, and shall also be punished with imprisonment for up to five years.