Discovering a transnational trillion-dollar gambling ring

On January 4, according to the Hanoi Police Information Portal, Ha Dong District Police coordinated with professional units of Hanoi City Police to investigate and discover a transnational gambling ring with a transaction amount of about 1,000 billion VND.

Accordingly, implementing the peak plan to attack and suppress crime to ensure security and order during the Lunar New Year 2025, through professional measures, Ha Dong District Police discovered a group of about 20 people renting an office on Hoa Binh Street, Group 15, Yen Nghia Ward, Ha Dong District, Hanoi City.

This group is characterized by a closed life, little contact with people around them, using many mobile phones and network devices, and showing signs of using high technology for criminal activities.

On December 25, 2024, the forces deployed to inspect the office where the subjects were working. At the time of the inspection, 18 subjects were found using mobile phones to scan biometrics to conduct money transfer transactions. The police force seized 118 mobile phones of various types, 7 mainframe computers and many network devices; 91 bank accounts with a total amount of money initially determined to be about 4 billion VND.

Based on collected documents, the investigation agency determined that Ma Tu Vien (born in 1981, permanent resident in Yen Nghia, Ha Dong, Hanoi; Vietnamese, Chinese origin) worked as a tour guide for tourist groups from China and Taiwan traveling to Vietnam.

During his time in Taiwan, Vien met some Chinese people. By the end of February 2024, the subjects met in Cambodia to discuss cooperation in making gambling applications in Vietnam, and also went to Myanmar to see how the "gambling" applications worked and operated.

By July 2024, the two sides agreed to open a portal to deposit and pay gambling money in Vietnam. On average, the game portal opened by the subjects has a monthly profit of about 25 billion VND/month, the commission the subjects receive is 0.3% of the profit.

To carry out his plan, Vien and his wife Le Thi Chinh rented an office on Hoa Binh Street, Group 15, Yen Nghia Ward, Ha Dong District, bought phones, computers, cameras, etc., and found biometric scanning staff with a salary of 15 million VND/1 staff/month.

From the end of September 2024 to December 2024, Vien and Chinh hired 16 employees and opened 91 bank accounts at many banks such as Vietcombank, Techcombank, BIDV, MB, MSB... Vien and Chinh's group operated in Vietnam in conjunction with Taiwanese and Chinese groups to perform biometric scanning to transfer deposits and payments to players on the above gambling portal, ensuring continuity for cross-border gambling activities.

According to Hanoi police, this is a transnational cybercrime organization with the direct leadership and management of foreigners. The network is divided into many stages, operating in different countries, with gambling servers located abroad. In Vietnam, the subjects open a portal to deposit and pay gambling money for transnational "gamblers". From the end of September 2024 until being discovered, Vien and Chinh's group made payments on the above gambling portal with a transaction amount of about 1,000 billion VND.

Based on the investigation documents, the Investigation Police Agency of Ha Dong District Police has decided to prosecute the case of "organizing gambling and gambling" and temporarily detained 18 subjects for organizing gambling and 4 subjects for gambling.

Currently, Ha Dong District Police continue to coordinate with professional units of the City Police to expand the investigation and handle the subjects according to regulations.