Vietnam wastes no time deporting South Korean online gambling operators

Vietnamese authorities have deported seven South Korean nationals caught running an online gambling ring.

On Wednesday, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that South Korean police were heralding the speedy extradition of the seven-member gang, who were caught running an illegal online sports betting ring in Hanoi.

Acting on a tip, South Korea’s National Police Agency alerted their Vietnamese counterparts to the existence of the ring, which is believed to have handled wagers totaling KRW 10b (US $8.2m). Vietnamese police pounced, arresting all seven members and seizing computers, cell phones and betting records.

The two countries recently agreed to cooperate more fully on such investigations and this bust represents the first test of the new partnership. An NPA official couldn’t have been happier, noting that an extradition process that used to take over a month was accomplished in just two days.