Former Nha Trang police officer jailed for taking bribes from gambling den

Luong Tien Quan, former deputy division head of a criminal police department, was sentenced on Tuesday by Khanh Hoa People's Court for receiving bribes.

Nguyen Minh Hai, a poker club owner, was sentenced to five years and six months for organizing gambling, and two years for giving bribes.

16 others were sentenced from between 15 months to nine years in prison for various charges, including organizing gambling, gambling and giving bribes.

The court said Hai and his accomplices had transferred a total of VND420 million ($16,500) to Quan, knowing clearly that the transaction was to prevent police officers from checking the illegal activities of the poker club. The club had been operating for many years, yet was not investigated by police.

The poker club, located in Nha Trang, a popular tourist destination in Khanh Hoa, was reserved for foreigners to come and gamble.

From 2017 to 2020, Hai also opened poker tables at a hotel in HCMC, and delegated their management to certain Chinese and Cambodians. Hai was in charge of "external affairs" to ensure the facility continued to operate.

In September 2020, Hai said the police planned to check on poker facilities in Nha Trang, so he contacted Quan and bribed him. From June 2022 to February 2023, the poker activities illegally took in around VND6 billion.