South Korean prosecutors are preparing to put two men on trial for allegedly operating illegal gambling platforms following their recent extradition from the UAE. The identities of the men remain undisclosed due to legal constraints, and South Korean media has been instructed to blur their faces in any accompanying video footage from their arrival.
One suspect, referred to as “A,” is accused of managing a highly profitable gambling site with a reported turnover of approximately $3.14 billion. The second suspect, known as “B,” allegedly operated a site that enticed middle and high school students, amassing earnings exceeding $327 million.
A joint task force composed of police and government officials stated that the extradition process faced challenges due to ongoing tensions in the Middle East, according to the South Korean newspaper Munhwa Ilbo. A spokesperson for the task force remarked, “We used a local airline plane with the cooperation of UAE authorities. We will continue to track down and arrest online gambling operators even if they flee overseas.”
Gambling-related crimes are on the rise in South Korea, with a notorious incident last month in Cheongju where a gang was sentenced to prison for assaulting a family to locate betting funds. News footage aired by a South Korean broadcaster showed the two suspects being detained by police as they arrived at Incheon International Airport.
Authorities have been searching for suspect A for over ten years after he allegedly fled South Korea in 2014, subsequently residing in Southeast Asia. Reports indicate that he traveled between the Philippines, Malaysia, and Cambodia before finally settling in Dubai. In 2018, A purportedly established offices in Indonesia and the UAE to facilitate operations for his gambling platform.
Although UAE police captured A several months ago, bureaucratic and logistical hurdles delayed his extradition. According to the task force, A has also evaded more than $43.1 million in taxes and faces accusations related to narcotics and prostitution. Additionally, police wish to inquire about his potential involvement in the death of a South Korean national in Malaysia in late 2018.
Suspect B, on the other hand, allegedly utilized a network of teenagers as “recruiters” for his gambling website. Reports suggest that he compensated these youths for bringing in new users, who promoted the site through their social media channels. An unnamed police official indicated that “quite a few teenagers” engaged in gambling on the site, which is believed to have attracted around 15,000 users, predominantly South Koreans. The task force clarified that the two gambling sites operate independently and that investigations into each case are ongoing.
