The investigation revealed that this criminal gang conducted online gambling in the form of binary options (BO) through the website "Lokichi.com," which is an inter-provincial and international network with servers set up abroad and operated by foreigners, employing very covert and professional methods.
In Vietnam, the gambling network was led by Trần Vũ Toàn (born in 1990, residing in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) and Nguyễn Đình Khởi (born in 1994, residing in Tây Hòa District, Phú Yên Province).
"Lokichi.com" is a binary options gambling website based on the fluctuations of the BTC/USDT cryptocurrency pair. After registering a gambling account on the site, players predict the rise or fall of the BTC/USDT pair, thereby choosing to buy or sell, with each transaction lasting 30 seconds.
At the end of the transaction, if the direction of the cryptocurrency pair's movement matches the player's prediction and bet, the player wins 95% of the bet amount; otherwise, if the buy or sell direction is opposite to the movement of the cryptocurrency, the player loses the entire bet amount.
Notably, to attract more players to this gambling network, Trần Vũ Toàn and other involved individuals used social media platforms such as Facebook, Zalo, Telegram, etc., to flaunt their wealth acquired on the "Lokichi.com" trading platform, displaying a luxurious lifestyle including luxury cars, high-end brand shopping, and travel.
Given the nature and severity of the gang's activities, the Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Fighting Department collaborated with the Criminal Police Department under the command of the Nghe An Provincial Public Security, forming a special task force to concentrate efforts and urgently combat these activities.
After a period of tracking and comprehensive measures, from August 29 to 30, 2024, under the command of the Nghe An Provincial Public Security, the Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Fighting Department collaborated with the Criminal Police Department and coordinated with public security authorities nationwide, successfully arresting 17 suspects (including 10 males and 7 females, aged between 21 and 42) simultaneously in multiple provinces and cities including Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Hanoi, Yen Bai, Quang Nam, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Yen, Kon Tum, and Ba Ria - Vung Tau.
In Nghe An Province, related to this gambling network, the public security authorities arrested 4 suspects led by Hoàng Thị Hoa (born in 1982). Additionally, three other suspects were arrested, including Trịnh Xuân Đức (born in 2001), Trần Thị Xuân (born in 1987), and Hoàng Thị Thu Trang (born in 1987).
In the case, the public security authorities seized evidence including 5 cars, 20 smartphones, and 1 desktop computer. It has been preliminarily determined that since the beginning of 2024, the suspects have conducted online gambling transactions through the Lokichi.com platform amounting to over 10 million US dollars (equivalent to over 250 billion Vietnamese dong).
During the investigation, all suspects have admitted to their criminal activities. Currently, the Criminal Police Department is temporarily detaining these 17 suspects, further perfecting the evidence, and continuing to expand the scope of the investigation.
