Earlier this year, Quang Tri Police's Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention Division detected suspicious activities linked to the OKWIN online gambling platform. Investigators found that the platform's deposit and withdrawal transactions were facilitated by a sophisticated intermediary payment network operating across multiple countries under a tightly organized management structure.
Under the direction of Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security, Quang Tri Police led a cross-border investigation in coordination with Lao authorities. Acting on requests from Vietnamese law enforcement, Laos' Ministry of Public Security conducted inspections at two locations in Kaysone Phomvihane City, Savannakhet Province. Subsequent analysis of electronic data enabled investigators to identify the involvement of 56 Vietnamese nationals and one Chinese national in the gambling operation.
Authorities determined that in February 2026, following intensified crackdowns on cybercrime in Cambodia, the Chinese ringleaders relocated their activities to Laos. There, they established ASM Company as a front to conceal illegal operations.
Although presented as a financial services provider, ASM functioned as a payment hub facilitating transactions between online bookmakers and gamblers. All deposits and withdrawals passed through the company's systems. When players deposited money into gambling accounts, ASM processed and transferred the funds to betting operators. Likewise, the company handled payouts to winning gamblers.
In return, ASM earned commissions ranging from 0.3 percent to 0.8 percent of total daily transaction volumes. Investigators found that the system processed approximately VND40 billion in gambling-related transactions each day. The total volume of transactions involving Vietnamese gamblers routed through ASM exceeded VND4 trillion.
The investigation revealed an elaborate money-laundering scheme involving the conversion of funds into UST cryptocurrency via the MIA platform and the transfer of those funds through multiple layers of transactions to obscure the money trail before remittance to China.
The investigation identified two key Vietnamese suspects: Trieu Khac Luan, 39, residing in An Dong Ward, HCMC, and Vay Len Phat, 31, residing in Thuan Hoa Hamlet, Bau Ham Commune, Dong Nai Province. Investigators said the pair played crucial roles in managing the network's operations under the direction of Chinese organizers.
Quang Tri Police, working alongside specialized units under the Ministry of Public Security as well as police forces in HCMC and Dong Nai, launched coordinated operations to apprehend the suspects.
Quang Tri Police has formally initiated criminal proceedings on charges of organizing online gambling, participating in online gambling, and illegally collecting, storing, and disclosing bank account information.
Authorities have prosecuted 53 suspects for organizing gambling activities. Of these, 34 have been placed in temporary detention, while 19 others have been released under travel restrictions pending further investigation.
The case is considered one of the largest online gambling and illicit payment-processing networks uncovered in recent years, highlighting growing cooperation between Vietnamese and Lao authorities in combating transnational cybercrime and financial offenses.
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