The Security Investigation Agency of the Ha Tinh Provincial Police in central Vietnam has officially launched a criminal case and indicted eight suspects involved in a massive cross-border money laundering, online gambling, and fraud network.
According to investigators, Nguyen Hoang Tuan (born 1987, residing in Tan Son Nhi Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) was identified as the mastermind who managed and operated the entire system.
Through cyber reconnaissance, authorities uncovered several gambling websites, including 789Bet, Shbet, Hi88, and Jun88. These sites operated under an alliance model, sharing technical infrastructure and player data to optimize cash flow, with the "OKVIP" alliance serving as the central coordinating hub.
To exploit regulatory loopholes and maintain anonymity, the ring hosted its servers in the border regions of Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. When regional stability shifted—particularly during the conflict between Cambodia and Thailand—the suspects quickly relocated their systems to Malaysia, the Philippines, and several European countries to mitigate risks and evade tracking by law enforcement.
The investigation also revealed a connection between the gambling network and naptien.biz, a financial intermediary platform operated by C3TEK Trading Service Co., Ltd. This was identified as an underground payment system that used API integration with 31 foreign gambling websites to automate the movement of funds.
Notably, after the State Bank of Vietnam tightened account management in July 2025 by requiring biometric authentication for transactions exceeding VND10 million ($380), the group shifted heavily toward using mobile phone scratch cards for gambling deposits. The total value of these transactions is estimated to reach trillions of VND.
According to Ha Tinh Police, the ring operated under a strictly hierarchical model, consisting of one primary partner and over 1,000 first- and second-tier agents nationwide. The gambling cash flow was dispersed through multiple intermediary layers to disguise its origins and facilitate money laundering activities.
Members were assigned specific roles in various divisions, including technical support, accounting, operations, and customer service. To evade surveillance by authorities, the group frequently changed their bank accounts, Telegram groups, and domain names.
After consolidating the evidence, law enforcement launched a coordinated raid, summoning 20 individuals for questioning. During the searches, police seized 35 desktop computers, five laptops, 23 mobile phones, more than 10,000 SIM cards, six SIM card readers, VND1.3 billion (over $49,000) in cash, and a vast amount of related electronic data.
Initial investigation results determined that the ring had processed over VND2.25 trillion (nearly $86 million) worth of mobile scratch cards derived from gambling activities, involving collusion with various overseas organizations.
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