Nghe An resolutely fights against gambling crimes

Busting many large-scale gambling rings

According to the authorities, if in the past, gambling took place in the traditional form of direct and concentrated, small scale, in recent years, high-tech gambling has become more sophisticated and cunning, especially when subjects take advantage of science, technology, and use high technology to gamble.

The report of the Steering Committee for Crime Prevention and Control, Social Evils and Building Emulation Movement to Protect National Security in Nghe An province shows that in 2022, the whole province discovered 609 cases, 3,268 gambling subjects (of which, 276 cases, 298 subjects were prosecuted), collecting more than 10 billion VND; compared to 2021, there was a decrease of 258 cases, 995 subjects.

In the first 6 months of 2023, functional forces in the province continued to eradicate many large-scale gambling rings and gangs.

Police took the statement of Gian Tu Cong, the leader of the 80 billion VND online football betting ring. Photo: HN

Typically, recently, Vinh City Police initiated a case, prosecuted 9 defendants for the crime of "Organizing gambling and gambling" in the form of football betting. This is a large online gambling ring in the form of football betting led by Gian Tu Cong (born 1991), residing in Ha Huy Tap ward (Vinh city), currently living in Ho Chi Minh City.

This line is organized very professionally and has many tricks to deal with the authorities. The subject Gian Tu Cong used the general manager account to organize gambling in the form of football betting on the website "bong88.com”along with a number of other subjects inside and outside the province. All gambling transactions of this group were conducted online via smartphones. Initially, the authorities proved that the amount of money the subjects transacted gambling in the form of football betting from April 2023 to the time of arrest was more than 80 billion VND.

Subjects in the 80 billion VND online football betting ring were arrested. Photo: HN

Previously, on May 26, the Criminal Police Department, Nghe An Police and Nghi Loc District Police jointly coordinated to arrest and search the residences of 10 subjects residing in Nghi Loc District and Vinh City, seizing 1 iPad, 13 mobile phones of various types, 1 lottery number recording paper. The leaders of the gambling ring were 2 subjects Tran Danh Dung (born 1983), residing in Vinh City and Tran Thi Kim Anh (born 1997), residing in Nghi Loc District.

To operate the gambling ring, Dung and Anh colluded with a number of other subjects to use very sophisticated tricks to deceive the police, such as: Regularly using phone numbers that are not their own, phones connected to the internet to log in to Zalo, Telegram applications... to receive and send lottery messages.

The two leaders of the gambling ring of more than 10 billion VND, Tran Danh Dung and Tran Thi Kim Anh. Photo: HN

The subjects operated in a closed manner, during the time of receiving lottery tickets, they often moved or closed the door in their houses, installed surveillance cameras to commit crimes. Initially, the authorities proved that the amount of money the subjects transacted gambling in the form of lottery numbers from the beginning of May 2023 until the time of arrest was more than 10 billion VND. On the day of arrest alone, the subjects gambled with nearly 500 million VND.

Currently, the subjects participating in gambling activities are very diverse, from workers, civil servants, students, businessmen, traders... and are not only concentrated in urban areas but also in rural and mountainous areas. Some lines are operated by women.

The subjects in the gambling ring were led by Le Thi Thuy, resident of Quan Bau ward, and Le Khac Toan, resident of Ha Huy Tap ward, Vinh city. Photo courtesy

Typically, on March 15, the Criminal Police Department of the Provincial Police presided over and coordinated with the Department of Professional Affairs of the Ministry of Public Security and the Police of Quan Bau Ward (Vinh City) to arrest and simultaneously search the residences of 17 subjects residing in Vinh City, seizing 181 million VND in cash; 1 tablet, 20 mobile phones and many related exhibits.

The police identified Le Thi Thuy (born in 1969), residing in Quan Bau ward, and Le Khac Toan (born in 1980), residing in Ha Huy Tap ward, as the two ringleaders of the gambling ring. Thuy had three previous convictions for "Gambling". Also in May, Yen Thanh district police prosecuted 12 people for "Gambling" in the form of using social networks to receive lottery numbers. Nguyen Thi Trang (born in 1988), residing in Dong Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) was the ringleader.

Authorities said that it is very difficult to investigate and trace online gambling rings because the groups of subjects live in many districts, cities, towns inside and outside the province, even abroad, operate very secretly and sophisticatedly, use many tricks to conceal their crimes, often erase traces, change their methods of operation, making it difficult for the investigation and tracing work of the police investigation agency. To fight this type of crime requires the police force to be knowledgeable about technology, have sharp professional qualifications, have courage and modern technical means.

Intensify the fight

In the face of the reality that organized gambling and gambling crimes are becoming more and more complicated, especially in cyberspace, with increasingly serious nature, level, and consequences, diverse in composition and age, occurring in most localities, causing many consequences and being the cause of many other types of crimes. Recently, on May 27, 2023, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang signed and issued Directive 16/CT-TTg on strengthening the prevention and combat of crimes and violations of the law related to organized gambling and gambling activities.

Subjects in a gambling ring worth more than 10 billion VND were arrested. Photo: HN

In Nghe An, since 2021, the Provincial People's Committee has issued Directive No. 17/CT-UBND dated May 19, 2021, on strengthening solutions to prevent and combat high-tech crimes, including organizing gambling, gambling, and football betting on the internet. In particular, the Provincial People's Committee requires functional agencies to strengthen the work of grasping the situation, proactively detecting, fighting to clarify, and strictly handling crimes and violations of the law in cyberspace; further improve the efficiency and quality of receiving and handling denunciations, crime reports and recommendations for prosecution; Launch high-profile campaigns to attack and suppress crimes, fight fiercely and effectively against high-tech crimes, especially high-tech criminals, networks and gangs that engage in fraud, property appropriation, gambling, and soccer betting on the internet on a large scale, inter-provincially, with foreign elements... Coordinate the investigation, prosecution and trial of high-tech crimes to ensure strictness and compliance with the law.

Evidence of the 80 billion online soccer betting case. Photo: HN

Recently, 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 fight against crimes and violations of laws related to gambling and gambling organization activities. In particular, the Provincial Police Department is 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, to prevent crimes related to gambling, each citizen himself also needs to raise awareness of the consequences caused by gambling, as well as be vigilant against the tricks of gambling organizers, and not participate in this evil in any form. Because gambling not only causes material damage, destabilizes security and order, but is also a violation of the law.