An INTERPOL involved international operation targeting illegal football gambling and its associated criminal activity saw authorities make over 5,100 arrests and recover more than $59m in illicit proceeds.

The operation, code-named SOGA X and conducted between June and July 2024, was a collaborative effort involving INTERPOL and 28 countries and territories.

It was designed to tackle illegal online football gambling during the UEFA 2024 European Football Championship, which was predicted to generate a surge in betting turnover, and lucrative profits for criminal organisations.

The illegal gambling market is worth a staggering USD 1.7 trillion globally, according to research by the Asian Racing Federation and is closely tied to other criminal enterprises.

Beyond shutting down tens of thousands of illegal websites, SOGA X investigations also led to the rescue of trafficked workers and the exposure of money laundering syndicates.

Hundreds of human trafficking victims rescued in the Philippines

In one significant case in the Philippines, local authorities, supported by INTERPOL, dismantled a scam centre operating alongside a licensed gambling site.

The operation resulted in the rescue of more than 650 human trafficking victims, including almost 400 Filipinos and more than 250 foreign nationals from six different countries.

Many of the victims had been lured to the location with false promises of employment and were kept there through threats, intimidation, and even passport confiscation. They were then forced into working for the legal gambling site, while also running illegal cyber scams, including romance scams and cryptocurrency-related fraud.

An INTERPOL Operational Support Team provided vital assistance to Filipino authorities on the ground, providing expertise in extracting and analysing forensic evidence from seized devices, tracing illicit financial flows and identifying potential victims and suspects in other jurisdictions.

To read more INTERPOL news, click here.