TẠP CHÍ ĐIỆN TỬ
Indictment issued for 141 defendants in multi-million dollar gambling case in Hanoi
Kim In Sung, a South Korean national, who is director and legal representative of the HS Company, hired three other South Korean nationals to manage and run the King Club where illegal gambling was organized under the cover of prize-winning electronic games .
The Supreme People's Procuracy has issued an indictment prosecuting 141 defendants for gambling and organizing gambling. Five individuals were prosecuted for organizing gambling, and 136 for gambling.
According to the indictment, on June 22, 2024, the Ministry of Public Security’s Investigation Security Agency caught 14 individuals engaging in disguised gambling organized under the cover of prize-winning electronic games in Pullman Hotel in Hanoi. Seized evidence included nearly VND13 billion ($496,000) in cash, over $1.1 million, and other foreign currencies.
The investigation determined that the King Club, located on the 1st floor of the Pullman Hotel, belongs to Viet Hai Dang Company Limited, a company licensed to operate prize-winning electronic games for foreigners.
In 2019, the Viet Hai Dang Company signed a management and operation contract for the King Club with the HS Development Vietnam Company.
Under the agreement, the HS Company was permitted to operate the prize-winning electronic games and was entitled to 100% of the profits, on the condition that it complied with Vietnamese law and was solely responsible for all business activities.
Kim In Sung, director and legal representative of the HS Company, hired three South Korean nationals—Cho Choon Keu, Choi Jin Bok, and Shim Hawn Hee—to manage and run the King Club.
To increase revenue, starting from January 1, 2020, Kim In Sung proposed, and subsequently received approval from Nguyen Dinh Lam (Deputy General Director of Viet Hai Dang Company) and Nguyen Truong Giang (Director of King Club), to allow Vietnamese citizens to play at the King Club.
By exploiting loopholes in the inspection and supervision of competent authorities regarding the implementation of Decree 121's regulations on prize-winning electronic games for foreigners, the group of defendants organized illegal gambling at the King Club for 145 Vietnamese citizens from February 4, 2024, to June 22, 2024.
Within this scheme, Kim In Sung was the mastermind and leader, directing the activities of organizing gambling for Vietnamese citizens and receiving 100% of the profits.
