On 5/3, the Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department (A05, Ministry of Public Security) announced that it had coordinated with Hung Yen Provincial Police to prosecute 38 individuals for copyright and related rights infringement, organizing gambling, gambling, and disseminating obscene cultural products.
"We are continuing to expand the investigation and may prosecute dozens of other suspects", a representative from the Hung Yen Provincial Police Criminal Investigation Department stated.
Colonel Nguyen Huy Luc, Head of Department 5, A05, explained that Xoi Lac TV is a collective name for numerous links leading to illegal streaming websites, sourcing content from various countries. The Xoi Lac TV network recently dismantled is identified as one of the largest systems. Currently, all masterminds, leaders, and their associates have been arrested.
Authorities accuse the leadership of using specialized modern equipment to receive OTT or satellite signals for football and other sports matches. They established shell companies for media, software, and labor export as fronts. Employees were organized into groups for scriptwriting, commentary, document collection, finance, and logistics.
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The Xoi Lac TV system. Photo: Police provided |
"The employees are all very young, most with university or master's degrees. Generally, they are very skilled and proficient in information technology. Recruitment was conducted independently, so no one knew each other, and each group only knew its own work", Colonel Luc said.
Among those arrested, approximately 20 were commentators. Police described them as "well-known" figures across many channels, using nicknames such as Nguoi Rom, Nguoi Doi, and "Batman".
Authorities allege that the Xoi Lac TV system embedded gambling advertisements and obscene cultural products into its website to redirect users to related platforms, thereby earning hundreds of billions of VND in illicit profits.
Police have currently seized approximately 300 billion VND, primarily from e-wallets and various other assets.
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Police raided the Xoi Lac TV headquarters. Photo: Police provided |
Xoi Lac TV, a site specializing in illegally broadcasting international sports tournaments on the Internet since 2016, was developed by an anonymous group. In their videos, the channel's commentators frequently claimed to live abroad. The domain names were registered through GoDaddy services and pointed to servers with IP addresses in the US.
Explaining "why the case was broken at this time", Colonel Luc stated that the suspects' methods were "very sophisticated, constantly changing locations and server systems". Therefore, identifying the masterminds and leaders required considerable time.
Authorities will continue to crack down on other copyright-infringing illegal websites. According to Colonel Luc, dismantling the Xoi Lac TV system contributes to creating a healthy competitive environment and encouraging creativity. The actions of the Xoi Lac group infringed upon copyright and related rights, and the specific damages are currently being tallied and assessed, with figures to be announced later.
This crackdown will serve as a "warning" to groups intending to enrich themselves illicitly at the expense of others' creative efforts.
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Colonel Nguyen Huy Luc speaking at the press conference. Photo: Linh Dan |
In the coming period, A05 will continue to fight and dismantle other similar illegal websites. All acts of copyright infringement, organizing gambling, and gambling will be traced to their roots.
Colonel Luc advised citizens not to access or share links to copyrighted sports programs or films. Accessing these websites poses a risk of malware installation, leading to theft of personal information and bank accounts, and entanglement in gambling vices.
Pham Du
