South Korea: Over 100 referred to prosecution in Vietnam-based illegal gambling site bust
Seoul, Aug 25 (IANS) Police in South Korea said on Tuesday they have referred more than 100 people to prosecutors over their alleged involvement in a Vietnam-based illegal gambling site that dealt 63 billion won (US$45.6 million) in bets.
The Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency said it sent 13 site operators, including a 30-something ringleader, and 105 website members to the prosecution without physical detention on gambling-related charges.
The gambling ring allegedly set up an office in Vietnam in April 2024 and operated the platform that offered illegal sports betting and other gambling services for about 10 months, reports Yonhap news agency.
The website attracted 3,553 members in total, with police identifying 105 heavy bettors before sending them to the prosecution.
The police said they plan to investigate the case further, noting that another ringleader of the operation remains at large.
Earlier on Monday, 12 people were referred to the prosecution and five others were red-notified globally on suspicion of operating an illegal online gambling site, handling over 60 billion won (US$43.36 million) in stakes.
The 17 suspects, all in their 20s and 30s, are accused of amassing more than 3 billion won in criminal proceeds by running illicit sports betting, online casino and slot game platforms between November 2022 and July 2025 in areas including Incheon, west of Seoul, and the southeastern city of Ulsan, according to Ulsan police.
They actively sought to trick users into playing by streaming YouTube live broadcasts that falsely depicted high win rates and massive payouts, the police said. To maximise visibility, they reportedly deployed a self-developed traffic manipulation program and even established a dedicated promotion team to inflate view counts and real-time viewer numbers, pushing their promotional videos to the top of YouTube search and recommendation feeds.
The police said they launched an investigation in March last year based on a tip-off and tracked down the suspects’ operational bases, seizing key evidence, including burner phones, dummy bank accounts and computers.
After an 18-month manhunt, authorities successfully identified and apprehended twelve suspects sequentially.
The police also obtained an arrest warrant and requested an Interpol Red Notice for the five other suspects believed to remain at large in Thailand.
“We will track down the suspects who fled overseas to the bitter end through international cooperation,” a police official said.
–IANS
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