Three Koreans detained for running online gambling ring

Police from the Ministry of Public Security and their colleagues in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on April 18 arrested Kim Joo Hyeon, An Kwang Ho and Kim Hong Min, the ministry said on April 19. 

Kim Joo Hyeon, 46, resides in Phuoc Kien commune, Nha Be district, Ho Chi Minh City. Meanwhile, both An Kwang Ho, 41, and 24-year-old Kim Hong Min reside in Vung Tau city, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. 

The men entered Vietnam on tourist visas to organise online gambling for Koreans in the country. 

During the raid, police seized 20 mobile phones, nine bank cards, 37 desktop computers, two laptops and devices for online payment.

The online gambling ring was hosted by a website with a server outside Vietnam, serving thousands of players and carrying out transactions worth more than 7.3 million USD since November last year. 

Their actions violate the Republic of Korea’s sports betting law, while posing risks to Vietnam’s cyber security and safety, according to police.

This is the fourth group of foreign criminals recently busted by the Department of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention under the Ministry of Public Security, and police in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province.