Two Koreans among several arrested as Nha Trang police raid gambling den

They said Koreans Jo Wansu and Shin Jea Ho, Thoong Tau Vay of the southern Dong Nai Province, local man Ngo Van Chuyen, and 14 others would be investigated for organizing gambling.

Jo and Chuyen were the masterminds, they said.

In April dozens of officers had raided Gameclub Lucky, which is situated in the basement of the Sheraton Nha Trang Hotel & Spa on Tran Phu Street, and found several people indulging in gambling.

They seized US$408,000, 15,000 Hong Kong dollars, 10,000 Korean won, and VND681 million in cash and a lot of equipment and other evidence pointing to gambling.

An investigation found that Jo and Chuyen had set up the place purportedly as an arcade but actually to serve as a place for foreigners to gamble.

The duo had hired Thoong Tau Vay as the general manager and others such as card dealers, cashiers and security guards.

An investigation is ongoing.

Gambling is illegal in Vietnam, except at a certain casinos which are mostly only open to foreigners.

Any person who illegally gambles in Vietnam could face up to seven years in prison, and running gambling dens could result in up to 10 years of imprisonment.