Golfers gambling group organized like "mini casino", 37 people proposed to be prosecuted

The task force raided the hotel and caught a group of golfers gambling, including two vice presidents of the Vietnam Golf Association - Photo cut from clip

On August 18, the Criminal Police Department, Ministry of Public Security, issued the conclusion of the investigation into the case of a group of golfers gambling in Vinh Phuc.

This group of people included many golfers who were caught gambling in the form of playing poker in a hotel while preparing to participate in a golf tournament at Dam Vac Golf Course (Vinh Phuc) in mid-March.

The investigation agency has transferred the case to the Supreme People's Procuracy to propose prosecuting 37 people, including 5 defendants for organizing gambling, 31 defendants for gambling, and one person proposed to be prosecuted for both crimes.

Two vice presidents of the Golf Association and many businessmen were proposed for prosecution.

These people are mostly famous businessmen in a number of fields and share a common interest in playing golf. Some of them were leaders of the Vietnam Golf Association, Ho Chi Minh City Golf Association, etc. when they were arrested.

Specifically, two vice presidents of the Golf Association were caught red-handed gambling with a group of golfers, Le Hung Nam (49 years old, residing in Hanoi) and Tran Thanh Tu (54 years old, residing in Ho Chi Minh City).

Mr. Nam is the vice president and general secretary of the association, Mr. Tu is also the president of the Ho Chi Minh City Golf Association. Mr. Tu participated in the golf tournament in Vinh Phuc as the captain of the Southern team VGA Union Cup 2023.

The group of golf gamblers proposed for prosecution includes many people who are famous businessmen in a number of fields. Among them is Mr. Thai Tan Dung, residing in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, who used to be the owner of a very large silk business.

Mr. Dang Dinh Hau - residing in Ba Dinh district, Hanoi - was a member of the board of directors of VGS Group. Mr. Nguyen Cong Duc, residing in Thanh Xuan district, Hanoi, is known as a businessman operating in information technology services, other services related to computers and many other industries.

Five people were proposed to be prosecuted for organizing gambling, including: Tran Anh Linh - director of Tran Le Gia Company in Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City; Tran Thi Ngoc Minh; Tran Thi Thanh Thuy; Phan Thi Huynh Nhu and Nguyen Thi Thu Kieu. Mr. Linh was proposed to be prosecuted for gambling.

Golf gambling group organized like "mini casino"

According to the conclusion, the Vietnam Golf Association plans to organize the VGA Union Cup 2023 team competition between the Northern golf team and the Southern golf team at Dam Vac Golf Course, Vinh Yen City, Vinh Phuc from March 23 to 25, 2023.

Taking advantage of participating in this golf tournament, Tran Anh Linh (vice captain of the Southern golf team) invited many members of the golf teams from the two regions to gather in Vinh Phuc before the tournament started so that the group of golfers could gamble in the form of playing poker.

About a week before the tournament, Linh asked Nguyen Ngoc Anh Thu (secretary of the Southern Golf Association) to contact and arrange to book 31 rooms at the DIC STAR Vinh Phuc hotel to provide accommodation for the members of the Southern golf delegation participating in the competition.

Room 550 was rented from March 19 to be used as a common living space and a group of golfers to gamble and organize gambling in the form of poker. At the same time, Linh contacted Nguyen Thi Thu Kieu to find more people to deal cards, prepare cards, mats, chips, etc. to pay 800,000 VND/hour/table and all travel and accommodation expenses.

Kieu lured Tran Thanh Thuy, Phan Thi Huynh Nhu, and Tran Thi Ngoc Minh to join and go to DIC STAR Hotel, Khai Quang Ward, Vinh Yen City, Vinh Phuc Province on the afternoon of March 19.

On the night of March 20, a working group of the Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security coordinated with the Criminal Police Department of Vinh Phuc Provincial Police to inspect and catch 18 golfers gambling at a hotel.

The "gambling" started at 8:00 p.m. the same day and at 11:45 p.m. the police raided and caught them red-handed. The casino in the hotel was organized like a "miniature casino" divided into two tables, in addition to the players, there were also 4 female employees taking turns dealing cards.

Nguyen Thi Thu Kieu, Tran Thanh Thuy, Phan Thi Huynh Nhu, and Tran Thi Ngoc Minh were organizing the dealing of cards to 18 gamblers in the form of poker games.

Police seized at the scene more than 4.6 million chips, equivalent to more than 4.6 billion VND of the golfers gambling, 4 decks of cards, 2 pieces of paper recording the number of chips that the gamblers bought to gamble and a number of other related objects and documents.

According to Tuoi Tre