Police yesterday arrested six men in HCM City and Gia Lai Province for their alleged involvement in a large online football betting ring.

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Illegal football betting ring smashed

July 12, 2016 - 16:00

Police yesterday arrested six men in HCM City and Gia Lai Province for their alleged involvement in a large online football betting ring.

The K59 pistol seized in the police raid at Nguyễn Văn Minh’s rented house in Hồ Chí Minh City. — Photo tuoitre.vn
Viet Nam News

HCM City — Police yesterday arrested six men in HCM City and Gia Lai Province for their alleged involvement in a large online football betting ring.

About VNĐ1 billion (US$ 44,400) and a K59 pistol with bullets were also seized from them.

The police said about $1 million was involved in the ring’s illegal betting activities during Euro 2016 alone. They have issued a ‘wanted’ notice for three other suspects.

Initial police investigation showed the ring had been conducting activities of an advanced level for a long time.

Nguyễn Văn Minh, 32, the gang leader, told the police after being detained that he used an account on an overseas website to organise the betting activities.

He rented a house in HCM City’s Tân Phú District to open a shop selling woodwork as a front, the police said.

They said Minh had hundreds of employees in Hồ Chí Minh City, Hải Phòng, Hải Dương and Gia Lai. He and his accomplices organised other illegal activities across the country such as being loan sharks and collecting debt illegally, besides football betting.

Minh has two previous convictions and was released from jail in 2014.

The police are expanding their investigation. — VNS

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