Illegal gambling has been a problem in Hong Kong society and now, it has cost the lives of two men trying to escape authorities who raided their illegal gambling den.

Anti-Gambling Raid Ends up with Two Men Dying

Trying to escape the law often has severe and unfortunate consequences. This is what happened on Wednesday in Hong Kong with two individuals trying to escape the police who conducted a raid on an illegal gambling den. The duo plummeted to their deaths falling ten stories attempting to flee the scene.

The South China Morning Post reported the tragic incident, which detailed a police operation that had homed in on an illegal gambling venue. When the raid commenced, the media said, two individuals tried to make their escape through a window.

Trying to balance themselves out on the exterior ledge of the Tsun Win Factory Building, the pair lost their balance and fell. Even though they survived the fall, the men were pronounced dead later at the United Christian Hospital.

The media detailed that there was a total of seven individuals at the venue when police converged on it. Four women and three men, two of whom were the victims. Police seized $3,500 in cash, a negligible amount considering the price the two men paid.

Hong Kong has been expanding its efforts in clamping down on unregulated gambling. The region is known for its hard stance on gambling. The city has been able to round up hundreds of individuals arrested in connection with various gambling activities over the past months.

Hong Kong Police Takes Firmer Action Against Gambling

Last year, Hong Kong Police participated in Interpol’s Operation SOGA VIII which led to the arrests of 800 suspects, including the alleged kingpin of the organization, and managed to confiscate an estimated $2.7 million that was linked to hundreds of millions placed in bets on various competitions.

That was last September and marks the biggest illegal gambling bust that law enforcement in Hong Kong had been able to carry out. The operation led by Interpol focused mostly on illegal soccer betting which remains the biggest problem for betting operators and sports governing bodies. Yet, this is not the only success Hong Kong has had against illegal gambling.

Earlier in 2021, police rounded up 79 people in a series of arrests that took down two underground casinos. Some $27,700 in cash was seized along with various paraphernalia necessary for running an illegal casino.