South Korean police dismantle 120-billion-won illegal gambling ring

The Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency has dismantled a large-scale organized crime group that operated an illegal gambling website with an estimated turnover of 120 billion won. Between December last year and May this year, the group provided access to slot and baccarat games through 2,133 adult PC cafes across South Korea.

The criminal organization utilized a sophisticated division of labor, including a site operator, a general director, a domestic sales distributor, developers, and an overseas call center. The ringleader reportedly operated a legitimate fabric company in Seoul to hide his activities and recruited employees to work at the call center located in Vietnam. The domestic distributor also used an interior design business as a front.

Following an investigation triggered by a raid on a PC cafe in Ulsan, police arrested 15 individuals, including the operator and various organizers, with nine placed under arrest. While some call center members fled to the Philippines, three returned to South Korea and were apprehended at the airport after their passports were invalidated. Police have seized various assets, including cash, mobile phones, and computers, and have successfully frozen approximately 2.7 billion won in criminal proceeds.