The alleged ringleader was Chou Kuo-an, 37, while Huang Chun-chieh, 30, was the server operator.

Chou, Huang, and seven others were arrested by CIB operatives in collaboration with Taoyuan County police in parts of Hsinchuan City and Taipei County.

The suspects have been transferred to the Panchiao District Court Office, said the CIB.

Police confiscated 17 computer servers, each valued at around NT$400,000, and other computer equipment, as well as account information of the gambling website’s members.

Days earlier, the CIB was tipped off on a gambling ring that received illegal bets in the amount of tens of millions NT dollars on a weekly basis.

The ring ran a variety of gambling websites including illegal sports gambling sites.

The criminal operation was run with a clearly differentiated four-tiered management system, starting from company headquarters to chief agents to regional agents and local agents.

The various agents were employed throughout the country and were in charge of recruiting new members, who placed their bets via the local agents. The local agents worked on commission. The CIB had previously been alerted of some of the ring’s illegal sports gambling sites, such as “Dr. B,” “E Post Office,” and “Big Sports,” which took advantage of the popularity of Yankees’ baseball pitcher Wang Chien-ming, a Taiwanese native, to run their unlawful betting business.

Preliminary investigation estimates that the criminals received at least NT$10 million each week in gambling funds. Monthly revenues surpassed NT$100 million.

In order to avoid raising police suspicion, the computer servers were installed inside a legal company located in Hsinchuan.

According to the CIB, Chou has a history of gangster involvement. He started the gambling operation last September.