LONDON, July 10 (Reuters) - Police across Asia have arrested more than 1,300 people in a major operation against illegal gambling on the Euro 2008 soccer championship and the climax of major leagues around the world, Interpol said on Thursday.

The world police organisation coordinated the two-month investigation in which Asian law enforcement officers identified and raided 1,088 illegal gambling dens, many of which were controlled by organised crime gangs.

The operation seized more than $16 million and involved police and other agencies in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and China, including Hong Kong and Macao, Interpol said in a statement.

Officials were not immediately able to give a breakdown of arrests by country. Interpol called the regional police operation an "excellent base" for security cooperation during the Beijing Olympics, which open on Aug. 8.

It led to more than three times as many arrests and 25 times more cash seized than a previous one staged late last year as Asians placed bets on the start of the season in major soccer leagues.

Known as SOGA (Soccer Gambling) II, the latest operation ran from May 1 to June 30 to coincide with the climax of the league season and the holding of the Euro 2008 championship in Switzerland and Austria.

Interpol estimated that the illegal dens smashed in SOGA II had handled nearly $1.5 billion of bets. Sports betting is restricted in parts of Asia, but black market bookmakers are active even in countries where it is legal.

© Reuters