Wednesday, December 27, 2006

The group collected pools from gamblers in Vietnam and transferred the bets
to betting firms abroad to earn a discount. At weekends when European
football matches play, the men averagely received pools around VND100
million (US$6,250) a night. All payments were made via banking system. Three
men seen as organizers of the ring include leader Nguyen Van Phu, 34, and
two assistants Nguyen Bao Khanh, 35, and Pham Quoc Hung, 35. Two other
offenders are identified as Doan Tien Giang, 40, and Pham Dinh Phong, 27.
The ring began its illegal affairs early this year, police said. In related
news, police in Ho Chi Minh City busted a major Internet football betting
ring Sunday, arresting 14 bookmakers and seizing money worth over VND7
billion (US$437,500). The 14 offenders confessed they were bookies working
for a major gang with close connections with betting firms abroad.