Arrested gambling ring in the form of football betting over 20 billion VND

Through the work of grasping the situation and managing subjects, in early May 2023, the Criminal Police Department of the Provincial Police discovered a group of subjects gambling in the form offootball bettingusing high technology in Vinh city, Nghe An province with a huge amount of money.

Evidence seized by the police. Photo: Hong Ngoc

This gang is led by two people who both reside in Vinh city, Nguyen Gia Dinh (born in 1992), residing in Vinh Tan ward, and Le Van Khanh (born in 1995), residing in Hung Phuc ward. Dinh and Khanh are assisted by 6 subordinate agents, all residing in Vinh city (Nghe An province).

This is a group with many complex social relationships, very sophisticated operations, with many methods and tricks to deceive the authorities such as the subjects in the group operate in a closed manner, some are introduced by others so they do not know each other, weekly payment of winnings and losses by bank transfer...

In particular, during the 2023 SEA Games competition season held in Cambodia, understanding the psychology of "gamblers" who will participate in betting on football matches with the participation of the Vietnamese men's and women's football teams, the subjects have set up many accounts to bet on football. In that situation, the Criminal Police Department of the Provincial Police reported to the leaders of the Provincial Police to establish a special project to fight.

The two leaders of the gang, Nguyen Gia Dinh and Le Van Khanh. Photo: Hong Ngoc

After a period of grasping the situation and applying professional measures, under the direct direction of the provincial police leadership, on May 17, 2023, the Criminal Police Department deployed working groups to arrest and search the subjects in the Project at many locations which are the residences of key subjects, and at the same time expanded the arrest of related subjects. The project's exhibits collected and temporarily detained 7 mobile phones, 1 laptop, 1 desktop computer and many related exhibits. The authorities also proceeded to freeze 8 bank accounts.

In addition to Dinh and Khanh, the other 6 subjects arrested by the police all reside in Vinh city, including: Nguyen Van Nhat (born in 1996), residing in Hung Phuc ward; Le Quang Thuan (born in 1984), Nguyen Duc Tinh (born in 1982), residing in Truong Thi ward; Nguyen Dinh Hong (born in 1985), residing in Doi Cung ward; Ngo Thanh Liem (born in 1990), residing in Le Mao ward and Le Trong Khoi (born in 1995), residing in Trung Do ward.

The subjects in the case were arrested. Photo: Hong Ngoc

Initially, the investigation agency determined that the amount of money the subjects gambled by betting on football on football sites such as “balu88.com, bong88.com”… from February 2023 until their arrest was more than 20 billion VND. The amount of money bet on football during the 2023 SEA Games competition season alone was more than 1 billion VND.

Currently, the investigation agency has detained the above subjects for investigation and clarification and continues to verify and expand the investigation.