The fate of dozens of Chinese citizens remains unknown after they were detained in Luanda following a probe by the Angola Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) targeting the operators of a fraudulent virtual casino. The casino was aimed at gamblers in Angola, Brazil and Nigeria.
Chief Superintendent Manuel Halaiwa told media in late August that the main objective of the illicit casino was to defraud gamblers. At least 46 Chinese citizens, men and women, were allegedly involved in the scheme, while nationals in the targeted countries were hired for a bogus “call centre,” interacting with victims.
Among the assets seized were 223 high-end computers and 113 phones used to create fake profiles. Halaiwa did not share how much money was involved or how many users may have been affected.
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The clandestine casino operated out of a motel about 15 kilometres south of Luanda’s city centre. More than 100 Angolan employees were allegedly involved, working 12-hour shifts.
The scheme expanded with the move into Brazil, where local hires were given commissions as the online gambling increased. According to Halaiwa, the games were “designed to cause loss” as well as to extract data from users such as banking and other personal information.
The Chinese suspects, Halaiwa suggested at the time, could apply for bail but no further reporting on the incident has emerged since. Arrests in a different online scheme, involving nine Chinese citizens, were reported on 21 October.
