Police bust $113 million online gambling ring in Nha Trang

By Xuan Ngoc July 17, 2019 | 12:31 am PT

Truong Hoang Lam (L), the kingpin of an online gambling ring in Nha Trang, is arrested on July 14, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/An Phuong.

Police in the central resort town Nha Trang arrested 31 people involved in a gambling run worth an estimated VND2.62 trillion ($113 million) on Sunday.

The police raided 11 different locations linked to the ring run by 43-year-old Truong Hoang Lam, saying it was the biggest gambling ring ever busted in the area.

Investigation found the ring start operation in 2014, Vietnam’s cyber crime police under the Ministry of Public Security said on Tuesday. Sunday's raids netted more than VND 2.6 billion ($112,000) and $12,000 in cash, 17 computers and other items. The police are investigating further.

Vietnam has relaxed its stance on gambling as a "social evil," legalizing sports betting in 2017 and allowing people aged over 21 with a monthly income of at least VND10 million ($445) to play in a casino in the southern Phu Quoc Island.

But online betting remains illegal.