VietNamNet Bridge – Thirteen members of an organised crime group in HCM City involved in illegal gambling and high-interest lending were apprehended on Tuesday, according to police announcement released on Thursday.

The members of the organised crime group led by Vu 'Rose' were taken into custody on Tuesday, police announced on Thursday. — Handout photo by the Ministry of Public Security

Police said the group was based in District 9 and Thu Duc.

Its members were asked to recruit ‘players’ from HCM City and several other localities in the country to take part in online betting on football matches, virtual cockfighting and số đề – a form of outlawed gambling based on the State lottery – on bong88.com and agl30k30k.net.

Several accounts were found to have outstanding debts of up to VND100 billion (US$4.3 million).

The Department of Criminal Police under the Ministry of Public Security confirmed they had arrested ringleader Lam Thanh Vu (nicknamed Vũ ‘Rose’) and his associates at Tan Son Nhat Airport in HCM City after they flew back from Phu Quoc Island in Kien Giang Province, where they supposedly held parties and collected money.

At the same time, police raided 14 locations including cafés and private residences.

Multiple computers, cellphones, three cars, VND800 million ($34,500) and documents related to the gambling operations were confiscated.

Police said Vu ‘Rose’ refused to confess to his crime or disclose passwords to access his computer, personal cellphones and online accounts.

Aside from running gambling rings, the group also carried out loansharking and illegal debt collection, which made it a “three-in-one” criminal group, law enforcement units said.

Source: VNS