Two police chiefs jailed in $420m gambling ring

Vietnam’s former national police chief Phan Van Vinh and former head of hi-tech crimes police department Nguyen Thanh Hoa were sentenced to nine and 10 years in jail after a three-week trial into Vietnam’s biggest illegal gambling ring, local media reports.

60-year old Nguyen was in charge of policing online gambling at the powerful Ministry of Public Security. He got 10 years in jail for "abusing power while performing official duty", the official Vietnam News Agency reported.

Sentencing took place in the People's Court in Phu Tho province.

Two gambling ring leaders, Nguyen Van Duong, former chairman of the private company CNC, and Phan San Nam, former chairman of VTC Online joint stock company, were sentenced to 10 and five years respectively for organizing gambling and money laundering.

The ring was broken up in August last year, with more than $420 million thought to have been gambled since 2015. The gang netted $200 million in illegal profits.
They were among 92 defendants involved in the case.

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