South Korean police have arrested the organizers who operated unlicensed online casinos registered in the UAE

The South Korean police have arrested a criminal group that operated a network of unlicensed online casinos registered in Dubai with a turnover exceeding $81 million.

According to the Gangwon Provincial Criminal Investigation Department, police arrested 26 individuals suspected of organizing criminal activity and running illegal gambling operations. Ten suspects, including a 32-year-old alleged ringleader, have been taken into custody.

Investigators say that beginning in 2021, the head of the group and his associates created a shell company in Dubai through which they operated two online casino sites for four years. Police believe the UAE was chosen due to weak international law enforcement cooperation and favorable conditions for money laundering.

The group promoted its websites through social networks and YouTube. Recruits were formally employed by companies in Dubai with promises of “high earnings.” Inside the organization, a strict hierarchy was enforced: supervisors controlled subordinates and confiscated their passports to prevent them from returning to South Korea. All instructions were delivered via Telegram to avoid police monitoring.

The investigation began following a report from the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, which enabled authorities to carry out a ten-month operation and detain all members of the scheme.

Police representatives stated that they managed to seize $4 million in illegal proceeds. Authorities stressed that efforts to combat unlicensed gambling will continue.