Over 100 Teenagers Among 2,000 Members
A gang of organized criminals who operated a gambling website with a total transaction volume of 24.9 billion won and even allowed teenagers to register as members has been apprehended by the police. The group set up their office in an ordinary apartment and led a lavish lifestyle with the proceeds from their illegal activities.
According to the Criminal Investigation Unit of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency on June 11, four individuals, including a local gang member identified as A (in his 20s) from Suwon, have been arrested and referred to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office on charges of running an illegal gambling operation. From February 2023 to December of last year, they are accused of renting an apartment in Dongtan New Town, Hwaseong, and using it as an office to operate an illegal gambling website with a total betting amount of 24.9 billion won.
A and his accomplices operated the site by streaming live footage of games such as baccarat and slots taking place at casinos in Southeast Asia, allowing members to watch and place bets in real time. Members could wager from 5,000 won up to a maximum of 3 million won per bet.
They recruited members by sending out random advertising text messages, ultimately attracting around 2,000 members. Among them, it was confirmed that more than 100 were teenagers. A reportedly collected 20 percent of the amount lost by users of the gambling site as a commission.
The police launched an investigation in January after receiving intelligence about a gambling website operated by organized crime. Through analysis of financial accounts and CCTV footage, they identified and arrested all four operators. In an attempt to evade law enforcement, the suspects rented a regular apartment as their office and frequently changed the website address and financial accounts associated with the operation, but were eventually apprehended.
A and his associates are said to have enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle, purchasing high-end foreign vehicles and luxury watches with their criminal proceeds. The police have seized more than 40 bank accounts used under false names during the operation period and estimate that the criminal proceeds amount to 1.1 billion won. They have applied for a pre-indictment seizure to recover these funds and are continuing their investigation, suspecting that there may be additional accounts involved.
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