Law enforcement agencies in at least eight countries have carried out a series of raids and arrests targeting transnational criminal networks involved in illegal World Cup gambling, counterfeit merchandise, and online child sexual abuse. The operations, conducted over recent weeks, resulted in the detention of more than 200 suspects and the seizure of assets worth hundreds of millions of dollars, according to official statements.

In Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur police raided a shop-office unit in Cheras, detaining 32 Chinese nationals—29 men and three women—suspected of operating an online football betting ring through the website 6288.com. The syndicate had been active for three weeks, police said, and officers seized 28 computers, mobile phones, and internet modems. The suspects were remanded for four days under the Open House Gambling Act, the Betting Act, and the Immigration Act. Separately, Taiwan’s Tainan City Police Department reported busting an illegal online betting operation that had allegedly handled nearly NT$10 billion (US$313 million) in World Cup wagers. Eight people were arrested in a raid on a five-storey house; five of them had entered Taiwan on tourist visas from Hong Kong and Macao specifically for the tournament, authorities said.

Counterfeit World Cup jerseys were also targeted. Malaysia’s Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs raided a storage and distribution centre in Kuala Lumpur, seizing fake jerseys with an estimated value of RM375,000. The jerseys, sourced from China at a cost of RM6 each, were sold online for between RM30 and RM50. Three local workers were detained, and the ministry said it was tracing the premises’ owner and the mastermind behind the operation.

In parallel, authorities intensified actions against online child sexual exploitation. Malaysian police and the communications regulator conducted a series of operations—including Op Pedo and Operation Cyber Guardian—that led to 117 arrests across 162 raid locations domestically and in neighbouring countries. More than 272 digital devices were seized, and over 1.47 million digital files were examined, with over 204,000 items of child sexual abuse material identified in the latest phase. Meanwhile, Europol announced that its “Project Medusa,” a multi-country initiative targeting online networks involved in drug-facilitated sexual assault, had resulted in 57 arrests and the protection of 158 victims. The operation, led by Germany and the United Kingdom with participation from Brazil, Canada, France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United States, identified 156 victims and suspects in its most recent action days in late June. Investigators also uncovered 274 new leads and identified four online groups with misogynistic content.

Authorities in each jurisdiction said investigations are continuing and further arrests may follow. The operations highlight the cross-border nature of the alleged crimes, with suspects and victims often located in different countries, and the use of encrypted messaging and social media platforms to facilitate illegal activities.