(CNA Hanoi, July 7, Combined Reports) The Vietnamese government has intensified its crackdown on illegal gambling during the World Cup. Police announced today that they have arrested 85 individuals associated with two extremely large betting rings, with a total amount involved exceeding 133 million US dollars (approximately 4.27 billion NTD).
According to Agence France-Presse, online gambling is illegal in Vietnam but is very popular due to its high profits, prompting the government to conduct regular crackdowns, especially during international sporting events.
Ho Chi Minh City police stated in a release that at the end of June, they raided two betting rings that were "operating on an exceptionally large scale," with "clear hierarchies and strict control." The estimated illegal transaction amount for these two rings since last October has reached 133 million US dollars.
Police added that the main suspects confessed to obtaining master betting accounts from Cambodian individuals, which were then divided into multiple sub-agent and member accounts, and finally distributed to online gamblers.
The Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam stated last week that within the first 20 days of the World Cup kickoff, police dismantled 73 gambling groups nationwide and arrested 346 individuals suspected of illegal gambling and football betting. A Ministry of Public Security official said, "The total transaction amount in these cases amounts to trillions of Vietnamese dong."
This year's World Cup is co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with the final scheduled for July 19. (Intern Translator: Tsai Ya-jung / Editor: Yang Chao-yen) 0707115
Stand with the facts, your every contribution is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the CNA "First-Hand News" APP to grasp the latest news in real-time.
No reproduction, public broadcast, public transmission, or use of the text, images, and videos on this website is permitted without authorization.
FACT BOX
- Source: CNA (Central News Agency)
- Category: 犯罪