The group of organising online football betting at the police station. Photo courtesy of the Gia Lai Police

GIA LAI — Police in Gia Lai Province have launched legal proceedings against 16 individuals for their involvement in an online football betting ring.

The suspects, hailing from various wards and communes including Hoài Nhơn Bắc, Tam Quan, and Phù Mỹ, allegedly utilised sophisticated virtual accounts to facilitate illegal gambling on 2026 World Cup qualifier matches.

The total transaction amount is estimated to exceed VNĐ100 billion (US$3.8 million).

Specifically, through intelligence gathering, authorities discovered that this group used a system of accounts on a website to organise betting.

On June 27, the provincial Criminal Police Department, in coordination with other professional units, established 19 task forces to simultaneously conduct urgent raids at 19 locations across the province.

The reconnaissance teams conducted checks in wards of Quy Nhơn Nam, Hoài Nhơn Bắc, Tam Quan, and communes of Tây Sơn, Bình Dương, Phù Mỹ and Phù Mỹ Nam.

At the raided locations, the police summoned and brought the relevant individuals to the headquarters for questioning, clarifying the roles of each person; and simultaneously seized evidence including 18 mobile phones, two laptops, and numerous documents related to football betting activities.

Regarding their modus operandi, the criminal group exploited the hype surrounding the 2026 World Cup Finals to attract players.

They divided accounts and granted credit limits using virtual points to gamblers on the system, then directly converted them into cash for transactions.

This sophisticated method allowed the perpetrators to easily remain anonymous, taking advantage of the widespread reach of the internet to lure a large number of players, driving the amount of illicit profit to hundreds of billions of đồng.

Authorities are currently continuing their investigation, consolidating evidence, and expanding the inquiry to clarify the roles of each individual involved.

The police advised that gambling activities are increasingly shifting towards the use of high technology.

Citizens should absolutely not access or register accounts on gambling websites, should not share or promote illegal links; and should proactively report any signs of crime to the authorities to help maintain social order and safety. VNS