Gang Running Illegal Gambling Site Apprehended in UAE

In Dubai, a group of 26 people was arrested for running an illegal online gambling site.

The arrests were carried out by a crime investigation unit of the Gangwon Provincial Police Agency.

At the time of the arrests, the illegal site had become worth more than KRW 120 billion ($81 billion).

Those arrested are being faced with charges of “organizing, joining, and operating a criminal organization and opening gambling spaces.”

Ten out of the 26 people who were arrested have been detained further, among them a 32-year-old has been identified as the ringleader.

A statement was made by  a police official after the whole ordeal:

“We have secured the pre-indictment seizure and preservation of KRW 6.086 billion in criminal proceeds from the mastermind and key executives.”

Bringing Them Down

The Korea Sports Promotion Foundation provided authorities with information regarding the gang’s existence.

Following this discovery of the illegal gambling sites, an investigation was launched.

After a 10-month investigation, law enforcement finally apprehended the criminals running the operation.

Establishing the Foundations

After establishing a “shell company” in Dubai in 2021, the gang had been running, over the span of 4 years, two illegal gambling sites.

It is assumed they chose the UAE in order to take advantage of the difficulty in possible cooperation between the two countries’ law enforcement agencies.

In addition, due to its nature as a global financial hub, operating in the UAE would make it easier for them to launder money.

The Hierarchy

The organization had set up a hierarchy system that would give higher-ranked members more control over lower-ranked ones.

By taking the passports of those ranked lower than them, by doing this, team leaders would make a return to South Korea impossible.

By utilising Telegram, due to the security it provides, the gang was able to relay orders with no risk.

Promoting on Social Media

By making use of platforms such as YouTube and different social media networks, the organisation increased the exposure of the two sites.

By using the promise of “High Returns,” they would convince people to work for them.

These people would have to travel to Dubai, where they acquired work visas and were registered as employees of corporations based in the UAE.