A former director of collapsed Macau junket operator Tak Chun Group is among eight people arrested in Taiwan, after police raided an illegal World Cup betting operation estimated to have handled more than NT$10 billion ($313 million) in wagers, according to local media reports.
Police in Tainan stormed a luxury townhouse guesthouse in the city’s Anping District on July 1st, seizing dozens of computers, account ledgers, and large amounts of cash. The group, led by Sou Ieng Peng and a local suspect surnamed Lin, had been renting the property at NT$36,000 ($1,130) per day.
Sou, identified as the ringleader, previously served as a director at Tak Chun, where he was responsible for fund allocation, overseas expansion, and account management, police said.
He and several other Hong Kong and Macau nationals entered Taiwan in late June on tourist visas, with Lam acting as their local contact.
Tak Chun was once one of Macau’s largest junket operators, running VIP rooms at major casinos and extending credit to high rollers. Its founder, Levo Chan, husband of Taiwanese actress Ady An, was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2023, a term Macau’s Court of Final Appeal reduced to 13 years in late 2024, upholding convictions for criminal association, illegal gaming operations, and aggravated money laundering.
Sou denied any ongoing ties to Tak Chun during questioning, saying he sought other work after the group’s collapse, though investigators remain skeptical, suspecting he moved to Taiwan to rebuild operations.
The case has been referred to the Tainan District Prosecutors Office under organized crime, gambling, and anti-money laundering laws, with police probing whether local gangs provided cover for the operation.
