Vietnam police arrest 21 in $78.5M cross-border gambling scam
As many as 21 people were arrested by Vietnamese police for allegedly operating a money-laundering ring that transferred $78.5 million in criminal funds between Vietnam and neighbouring Cambodia.
The suspects were all Vietnamese from southern Dong Nai Province, and some northern provinces were detained in mid-February, said police in a statement. The group, led by a woman, had allegedly “transferred money amounting to VND2 trillion ($78.5 million) for gambling and online fraud for a cross-border organisation headquartered in Cambodia” since July 2024, police said.
To facilitate the scheme, the gang had set up 30 companies and 150 business bank accounts to move and legalise illicit funds that had been earned through fraud or gambling, the police said.
Vietnam has seen similar cases in recent months. Earlier in January, police dismantled another cross-border money-laundering ring worth $1.2 billion, arresting five individuals. The arrests – including one bank employee – were made in Da Nang, where police said it was the most significant money laundering case ever exposed in the central coastal city.
In October, property tycoon Truong My Lan was sentenced to life in prison for money laundering, in addition to receiving the death penalty for a separate $27 billion fraud case, which she is appealing. Lan was found to have illegally controlled Saigon Joint Stock Commercial Bank (SCB) between 2012 and 2022 in order to syphon funds through thousands of ghost companies.
Such money laundering cases linked to online gambling are a reminder of the need for vigilant monitoring, more vigorous oversight of financial institutions, and enhanced international cooperation to combat such activities effectively.
Recently, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Vietnam is a member, has also pledged to address the growing threats of transnational crime and online scams in the region. The member states emphasised the importance of collaboration to enhance security and proposed new initiatives, including a working group on money laundering and a regional cybercrime task force.
Gambling in Vietnam
In Vietnam, most gambling, including sports betting, is illegal, except for state-run lotteries and a few 바카라s. In November 2024, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) introduced , banning 바카라-style and card-based games to prevent illegal betting.
The decree also requires foreign companies to set up a business in Vietnam to offer online games. It introduces a 16+ content rating to protect younger players and mandates account verification through a Vietnam-based mobile number. 바카라ers under 16 must register with a parent or guardian’s details.
Additionally, Decree 147 simplifies procedures for gaming companies to improve efficiency while ensuring stricter controls on game content.
