On December 3, the Criminal Police Department (C02) of the Ministry of Public Security announced the indictment of 44 individuals for organizing gambling and gambling. Hoang Ta Minh Cuong, 30 years old, from Ninh Binh province, was identified as the mastermind and leader of the operation. This ring facilitated transactions amounting to thousands of billions of Vietnamese dong, with some individual bets on matches reaching hundreds of millions of Vietnamese dong.

Police reports indicate that Cuong began operating the betting ring in 2024. He acquired a super master account, which he then subdivided into four levels to manage the football betting activities. Cuong assigned various groups to run the operation, setting a conversion rate for betting points where one US dollar equated to between 10,000 and 100,000 Vietnamese dong. The illicit operation ran from November 2024 until September 2025.

To oversee the ring, Cuong employed several individuals whose tasks included splitting accounts, calculating winnings and losses, and opening bank accounts to receive betting funds. To evade detection, Cuong, who resided in the northern region, hired personnel in southern provinces to manage the day-to-day operations. Communication was strictly limited to social media platforms, avoiding any direct meetings.

Hoang Ta Minh Cuong (in blue shirt) and the defendants. Photo: Provided by police.

Every monday, the ring would tally the week's financial outcomes across all accounts. Payments were then processed through bank transfers.

Following a period of intensive reconnaissance, on September 9, C02, in collaboration with other police units, conducted simultaneous raids at 17 locations in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Ninh Binh, and Dak Lak.