GUO MEIMEI, who was at the center of a scandal in 2011 for using the Red Cross name for a private company, has been detained for soccer gambling, Beijing police confirmed Thursday.

    Guo, who was born in 1991 and grew up in Shenzhen, was arrested in Beijing on suspicion of online soccer gambling during the World Cup in Brazil. Guo has confessed to the gambling and the case is under investigation, police said.

    Guo posted several microblogs, proclaiming her affection for Brazil’s soccer team and saying that she had lost money on lottery tickets she had bought, Beijing-based newspaper The Mirror reported Thursday.

    Before the World Cup, Guo also shared her gambling experience in Macao on her microblog, according to the report.

    Guo sparked controversy in 2011 after she posted pictures online of her extravagant lifestyle and claimed to be general manager of a company called Red Cross Commerce. The Red Cross denied any ties with Guo, but it was hurt nonetheless by the scandal.(SD-Agencies)