Cash and other items related to gambling seized by police. — Photo dantri.com.vn

You may have heard of people dying from obesity, but it's rare to hear of someone going to prison for not eating enough. But that's the case here.

Police in the northern province of Vĩnh Phúc recently smashed an illegal gambling ring, with 52 arrests and the seizure of VNĐ700 million (US$30,100).

Bùi Văn Lưu, 53, a resident from Vĩnh Tường District’s Đại Đồng Commune, was identified as the leader.

Police had been monitoring the ring for several months but hadn't found a way to infiltrate the gang, so an undercover officer was sent in.

Last Wednesday at Lưu’s house, a guard heard a street vendor shouting “xôi lạc, bánh khúc đây” (Who wants xôi lạc and bánh khúc?)”.

Xôi lạc is a steamed glutinous rice mixed with peanuts. Bánh khúc is a steamed glutinous rice dish with khúc leaves, mung beans, pig fat and pepper. 

Because he was so hungry, the guard asked Lưu for permission to open the door to buy some food. With consent from the owner, the guard called the street vendor into the house.

However, no food was to be found but there were dozens of police officers waiting behind him. Everyone was arrested, and 43 mobile phones and six cars were also seized.

The case is under further investigation. —  VNS