Get tough on gambling in early spring
(Baonghean.vn) - As the Lunar New Year 2024 approaches, the gambling situation is becoming more complicated. To prevent gambling and gambling organization, the police of various units and localities in the province have successfully broken up many networks and arrested many subjects.
Eliminate many "huge" lines
Currently, the situation of gambling and organizing gambling, especially using high technology to gamble on cyberspace with large-scale networks, is causing social instability, affecting security and order, and leading to many accompanying consequences.
Right in the first days of launching a peak campaign to suppress crime, ensure security and order before, during and after the Lunar New Year of Giap Thin 2024, Nghe An Provincial Police achieved an outstanding feat when successfully eliminating a large-scale inter-provincial lottery gambling ring led by two subjects, arresting 14 subjects, and determining the gambling evidence to be more than 200 billion VND.
The ringleaders of the gambling ring are Dinh Thi Thao (born in 1974) and Nguyen Thi Thao (born in 1973), both residing in Hoang Mai district, Hanoi. Thao and Thao are assisted by many subordinate agents in the provinces and cities of Hanoi, Nghe An, and Ninh Binh.
In Nghe An, the leader of the ring is Nguyen Thi Thu (born in 1962), residing in Nghi Loc district. In addition to Thu, the police also identified 7 other subjects in the ring including: Uong Thi Nga (born in 1963), Nguyen Song Dong (born in 1964), both residing in Vinh city; Bui Thi Hoa (born in 1957), Nguyen Van Hoa (born in 1967), Dang Thi Binh (born in 1979), Le Hai Ha (born in 1978), all residing in Nghi Loc district and Tran Van Mai (born in 1971), residing in Hung Nguyen district.
The subjects in the ring have many complex social relationships and operate very sophisticatedly (receiving lottery boards via Zalo and Telegram applications, frequently traveling to different places, or closing doors in their homes, installing surveillance cameras) to avoid detection by authorities to commit crimes.
After collecting sufficient documents and evidence, from December 12-15, 2023, the Criminal Police Department of Nghe An Public Security presided over and coordinated with professional units of the Ministry of Public Security, local police of Nghe An province and Hanoi City Police, Ninh Binh Province to simultaneously deploy 14 working groups to arrest and search the residences of 14 subjects residing in Hanoi City, Nghe An Province and Ninh Binh Province.
Confiscated evidence included 22 mobile phones of various types, 1 iPad, 1 notebook and many other related evidences.
Initial determination from the time of the investigation to the time of arrest, the amount of money the subjects gambled in the form of lottery numbers was more than 200 billion VND. On December 9, 2023 alone, the total amount of money the subjects gambled in was nearly 1.5 billion VND.
Recently, from January 28 to February 3, 2024, Nghe An Police forces successfully dismantled a gambling ring using binary options (BO) on the Kinance5.Net exchange.
Accordingly, 12 subjects were arrested in many provinces and cities across the country such as Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Vinh Phuc, Thanh Hoa, Quang Binh, Thua Thien Hue, Dong Nai, Hanoi City, Ho Chi Minh City... determining the gambling amount to more than 200 billion VND.
The police agency clarified that Ha Van Hieu (born in 1999), currently residing in Xuan Tho commune, Xuan Loc district, Dong Nai province, managed a master account and was the ringleader of the network. After having the account, Hieu set up groups of subordinate agents to discuss and find ways to introduce new players to gamble on Hieu's system so that Hieu could receive commissions.
In Nghe An, the leader of the gambling ring is Le Cong Tuan Anh (born in 1996), residing in Nghia Thai commune, Tan Ky district. Tuan Anh's effective assistants are Phan Trong Huy (born in 1996), residing in Nghi Lien commune, Vinh city; Truong Van Cong (born in 1997), residing in Chau Quang commune, Quy Hop district. In addition to the above 4 subjects, Hieu's gambling ring also has many smaller agents in many provinces and cities across the country.
This is a group of people who engage in high-tech gambling, committing crimes mainly in cyberspace. The criminals are spread across the country, have many complex social relationships, frequently change phone numbers, and use junk SIM cards to commit crimes.
Initially, the Investigation Agency has proven that the total amount of money that the subjects have transacted gambling on the websites from the beginning of 2023 to now is about 200 billion VND. Currently, the case is continuing to be investigated and expanded.
Previously, on January 4, 2024, Vinh City Police successfully fought a special case, destroying a gambling ring in the form of recording lottery numbers using high technology, arresting 12 subjects (including 7 women, 5 men; aged from 28 to 51) for gambling in the form of recording lottery numbers.
At the scene, the authorities seized 14 mobile phones, 5 bank cards and many related evidences. The leader of this gambling ring is Nguyen Thi Son (born in 1988), residing in Hamlet 3, Nghi Phu Commune, Vinh City.
To avoid detection by the authorities, the subjects used unofficial phone numbers and created social media accounts such as Telegram, Zalo, Facebook, etc. to receive and send lottery messages. Initially, Vinh City Police proved that the amount of money the subjects used for gambling on January 4 was more than 500 million VND.
In January 2024 alone, through the fight against and suppression of all types of crimes and law violations, the authorities discovered 7 cases and 48 criminals using high technology, mainly gambling in cyberspace.
Resolutely prevent and stop
According to the authorities, at the end of the year and before Tet, some types of crimes, especially gambling, have re-emerged. In addition to using the internet and telecommunications networks in forms such as lottery, football betting, and taking advantage of electronic games such as fish shooting machines to gamble; there are also traditional gambling methods such as dice, three-card poker, cockfighting, etc. for entertainment purposes "for money".
This is also the time when professional gamblers take advantage of their activities to attract "non-professional" gamblers, local people, and children returning from far away to celebrate Tet to participate in gambling for illegal profits.
To prevent and combat gambling and gambling organization, especially gambling during the Lunar New Year, and maintain peace for people to enjoy the Spring Festival and celebrate Tet, in addition to propaganda work, the authorities have launched high-profile campaigns, vigorously combated and strictly handled all types of crimes, including gambling crimes; focused on reviewing and drafting cases to eradicate professional, large-scale gambling rings, gangs and dens. At the same time, launched a mass movement to protect national security and actively participate in denouncing gambling crimes.
Previously, on May 21, 2023, the Provincial People's Committee issued Document No. 4177/UBND-NC on the implementation of Directive 16/TTg of the Prime Minister on strengthening the prevention and combat of crimes and violations of the law related to gambling and gambling organization activities. In which, the Provincial Police Department was assigned to preside over and coordinate with relevant departments and branches to advise the Provincial People's Committee on developing a plan to effectively implement Directive 16.
However, in addition to the involvement of the authorities, as the ancients have concluded, “gambling is the uncle of poverty”, people need to raise their awareness of law enforcement and awareness of the consequences of gambling. From there, be vigilant against the tricks of gambling organizers, and do not participate in gambling in any form. Because this behavior not only causes material damage but also violates the law and will be strictly handled.
Article 321 of the 2015 Penal Code (amended and supplemented in 2017) stipulates the crime of gambling as follows:
1. Anyone who illegally gambles in any form, wins or loses in money or in kind worth from VND 5,000,000 to under VND 50,000,000 or under VND 5,000,000 but has been administratively sanctioned for this act or the act specified in Article 322 of this Code or has been convicted of this crime or the crime specified in Article 322 of this Code, has not had his/her criminal record expunged and continues to commit the violation, shall be subject to a fine of VND 20,000,000 to VND 100,000,000, non-custodial reform for up to 03 years or imprisonment from 06 months to 03 years.
2. Committing a crime in one of the following cases shall be punishable by imprisonment from 03 to 07 years:
a) Professional in nature;
b) Money or objects used for gambling worth VND 50,000,000 or more;
c) Using the internet, computer networks, telecommunications networks, and electronic means to commit crimes;
d) Dangerous recidivism.
3. The offender may also be fined from VND 10,000,000 to VND 50,000,000.
Thus, depending on the nature and severity of the crime, illegal gamblers may be prosecuted, investigated, prosecuted and tried with the highest penalty of up to 7 years in prison and may be subject to an additional penalty of a fine of up to 50 million VND.
