An illegal online soccer gambling syndicate has been cracked with 48 arrested before the South Africa World Cup, police in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province told Xinhua on Tuesday.

Shenyang police smashed the major web soccer gambling case after a two-month investigation. The case involved record-high betting slips of 100 million yuan ($14.66 million).

The suspects were taken into custody, including the core members of the syndicate, Lin Donghui, Chen Yong and Lin Haixuan, while another three were detained in the crackdown.

Police also seized more than 420,000 yuan in cash and 50 computers, and froze some 1.03 million yuan in the gang members' bank accounts.