In a cross-border joint law enforcement operation, Vietnamese and Laotian police successfully dismantled a transnational gambling network involving nearly 1.3 trillion Vietnamese dong (approximately 50 million US dollars) in illegal gambling funds. The operation focused on a gambling platform operated by Vietnamese within Laos.
According to the "Vietnam Express", the network was led by 44-year-old Hanoi man Mai Anh Viet and 41-year-old Ho Chi Minh City man Nguyen Huu Son. They were accused of deploying Vietnamese personnel to Laos to remotely operate illegal gambling websites hosted by overseas servers, and arranging family members to take turns managing the gambling system.
The police pointed out that the gang attracted a large number of gamblers by building a complex online platform combined with live broadcasting and social media marketing.
Laotian police launched a raid in Vientiane, seizing 35 mobile phones, 12 desktop computers, and 25 laptops, and arrested 29 Vietnamese citizens suspected of participating in the gambling. All equipment and materials involved were subsequently handed over to the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security for further investigation.
After the operation began, the Vietnamese side continued to expand the scope of the investigation, seizing more electronic devices used for managing and promoting gambling websites, and obtained financial transaction records between the suspects and overseas gambling platforms. It is reported that the gang systematically recorded user bets, activity tracks, and fund flows, with a large scale and strict organization.
Currently, 31 suspects have been formally charged, including 27 accused of organizing gambling and 4 facing charges of participating in gambling. The case is still under further investigation.
