South Korean authorities have extradited and charged a man accused of operating an illegal online gambling network. This network allegedly processed KRW10.3 trillion (US$7.5 billion) in wagers, following a decade-long international manhunt.
The Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency said the suspect, identified only as A, has been referred to prosecutors on charges. These charges include operating illegal online gambling platforms.
Decade-Long Investigation
Police allege that A operated gambling websites using servers in the Philippines between 2013 and 2017. Later, he relocated operations to Malaysia and Cambodia to evade authorities.
Investigators said he later supplied gambling game credits to more than 1,400 illegal gambling websites across South Korea between 2021 and 2023. This helped sustain large-scale unlawful betting activity.
Authorities estimate the network handled KRW10.3 trillion (US$7.5 billion) in wagers and generated approximately KRW26 billion (US$18.9 million) in criminal proceeds. A allegedly received around KRW6 billion (US$4.4 million) personally.
Arrest Through International Cooperation
Police said the suspect used fraudulent passports from multiple countries while remaining a fugitive for more than 10 years.
Authorities in the United Arab Emirates arrested him through cooperation between South Korea’s Pan-Government Joint Transnational Crime Special Response Task Force and UAE authorities before extraditing him via Incheon International Airport on July 4.
Investigation Continues
Authorities said they will seek the confiscation of alleged criminal proceeds. Additionally, they will expand investigations into operators and members of the wider illegal gambling network.
The task force, comprising the National Police Agency, Ministry of Justice, and National Intelligence Service, described A as one of South Korea’s leading suppliers of game credits to illegal online gambling platforms.
