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An investigation by the Hà Tĩnh Provincial Police Department of Criminal Investigation has filed charges against eight defendants linked to a cross-border gambling and money-laundering ring of extraordinary scale. The probe is being expanded to clarify all criminal acts and prosecute in accordance with the law.
According to investigators, Nguyen Hoang Tuan (born 1987, resident of Tan Son Nhi Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) is identified as the ringleader who operated the entire system. Huynh Cong Danh and Nguyen Hoang Phuc were responsible for technical operations and platform management, while many others participated in system administration, customer care, and expanding the agent network.
Nguyen Van Son (born 2004) is identified as a level-2 agent who exploited the napTien.biz platform to swindle more than 330 million dong from a resident in Hà Tĩnh.
Through cyber surveillance, authorities detected numerous gambling websites—such as 789Bet, Shbet, Hi88, and Jun88—operating in an alliance. Investigators said the sites shared technical infrastructure, player data, and cash-flow optimization methods.
The OKVIP alliance is described as playing a central coordinating role. Investigators also said the websites hosted servers near Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand to exploit regulatory gaps and operate anonymously. When regional tensions arose, particularly amid the Cambodia–Thailand conflict, operators reportedly moved the system to Malaysia, the Philippines, and several European countries to disperse risk and evade authorities.
The investigation also clarified the connection between the gambling network and the intermediate financial platform napTien.biz, run by C3TEK Trading Services Co., Ltd. Authorities identified napTien.biz as an underground payment system that connects via API to 31 overseas gambling sites to automate money transfers.
From July 2025, after the State Bank of Vietnam tightened management of accounts and biometric authentication for transactions over 10 million dong, the suspects reportedly shifted to using phone card top-ups to fund gambling. Investigators said the total value involved ran into the trillions.
Hà Tĩnh Police said the ring operated with a tightly hierarchical model, with one main partner and more than 1,000 first- and second-tier agents nationwide. Gambling proceeds were dispersed through multiple intermediaries to conceal origins and support money laundering.
Individuals were assigned specific roles at each stage, including technical, accounting, operations, and customer service. Investigators said the suspects frequently changed bank accounts, Telegram groups, and domain names to avoid surveillance.
Based on the evidence, Hà Tĩnh Police established a specialized case and deployed coordinated investigative measures. Investigators said 12 investigative units conducted focused monitoring and electronic data analysis, mapping the structure, money flows, and links between groups.
As a result, 20 suspects were summoned for questioning. Authorities seized 35 computers, 5 laptops, 23 phones, more than 10,000 SIM cards, 6 SIM card readers, 1.3 billion dong in cash, and various electronic data.
Initial findings indicate the ring consumed more than 2,250 billion dong worth of prepaid cards sourced from gambling activities, with connections to overseas organizations.
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