The 'rich kid's' casino in the forest

In the recently completed indictment, the People's Procuratorate of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province identified Ngo Xuan Quyen as the ringleader of an illegal gambling operation operating in the forests of the Binh Chau - Phuoc Buu Nature Reserve (Xuyen Moc district), but he has fled with two trusted accomplices, Nguyen Van Thinh and Tran Minh Sang. The investigating agency is currently pursuing their arrest and prosecution.

Of the remaining defendants, 10 (aged 24-44, all residing in Xuyen Moc district) were prosecuted by the Procuratorate for the crime of "Gambling organizationTwelve people (aged 31-56) are accused of the crime.Gamble"According to Articles 322 and 321 of the 2015 Penal Code.

Quyền, who previously organized a gambling den in a cafe in Phước Bửu town, Xuyên Mộc district, was sentenced to 8 months in prison. In July 2018, he appealed for a suspended sentence due to "remorse, sincerity, and the fact that his father was a war veteran," but his appeal was denied. At that time, Quyền's father was the Deputy Chief of Police of Xuyên Mộc district.

Ngo Xuan Quyen at the gambling den on the afternoon of November 22, 2019. Photo: Screenshot from a video by Hac Minh.

Shortly after his release from prison, in late October 2019, Quyen set up a dice gambling den operating from 12 PM to 6 PM daily, constantly changing locations in the deep forests of Bong Trang, Bung Rieng, and Phuoc Thuan communes – areas without phone signal – to avoid police surveillance.

The gambling area was set up with makeshift tarpaulins amidst overgrown trees. The gambling mat was a tarpaulin with a black line down the middle for players to bet on even or odd. Players had to pay Quyen 50,000 dong as a "commission" for every million dong won. In some rounds, he collected up to 15,000,000 dong.

The ringleader hired several people to assist with shaking the dice, acting as lookouts, and reminding gamblers to pay up after each bet, for a daily wage of 300,000 - 700,000 VND.

To enter the casino, players had to pass through several checkpoints. However, the most influential gamblers in Xuyen Moc and regular customers were guided there by Quyen's henchmen. Players were also provided with food and drinks.

Investigators determined that hundreds of people from various provinces and cities visited Quyen's gambling den every day. Among them, Phung Van Long (56 years old) gambled 8 times, each time bringing 4 million VND and betting between 500,000 VND and 1 million VND per game. The total amount wagered in the games Long participated in ranged from 50 million VND to approximately 1 billion VND.

Dozens of people played dice on November 22, 2019. Photo: Screenshot from a video by Hac Minh.

The person accused of participating the most, 10 times, was Luong Bao Bao (33 years old). Each time he went into the forest, he brought between 10 and 20 million VND, betting 2 to 5 million VND per game. In the gambling sessions Bao participated in, the stakes ranged from 40 million VND to 600 million VND.

In late November 2019, knowing that the gambling den had been exposed, Quyen and two of his accomplices fled.