Police bust $39.5 mln illegal sports betting ring in central Vietnam

Police in the central province of Nghe An have busted a massive illegal sports betting ring that allegedly raked in around VND9 billion ($39.5 nillion) in wagers on soccer matches.

Tran The Hung, 38, Le Hong Trung, 30, and Ngo Minh An, 47, were arrested last Wednesday on charges of running an online betting ring funneled through a website established in 2014, according to Colonel Nguyen Xuan Thiem, head of Nghe An Province's financial crime department.

Having followed the ring's activities for several months, police caught the trio and confisticated a laptop and cellphones containing evidence of illegal betting.

Police said Hung, identified as the ringleader, had taken over 39,000 illegal bets worth about $39.5 million over the past three years. He directly managed the website and shared it with six subordinates and 45 big gamblers from the town of Vinh in Nghe An, police said.

Tran The Hung at a police station. Photo by Nghe An Police.

The highest amount recorded for one wager was VND7 billion ($307,000). Most gamblers lost their bets, according to police.

"This illegal bets were taken on international matches or on soccer leagues in England, France and Germany," said Colonel Thiem.

The Ministry of Public Security said this is the biggest illegal betting ring ever to broken in Nghe An Province. The department held a meeting on Monday morning with local police to discuss the case and expand the investigation.