A special interagency task force on transnational crime brought back two alleged overseas gambling bosses from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as authorities vowed broader international cooperation and asset recovery.
Korean authorities have extradited two alleged ringleaders of an illegal online gambling network from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), saying they will strengthen international cooperation to pursue cyber gambling organizations operating overseas.
An interagency task force on transnational crime said Saturday that the suspects were arrested in cooperation with authorities in the UAE and repatriated through Incheon International Airport.
One of the suspects is accused of operating illegal gambling websites that handled about 4.8 trillion won ($3.14 billion) in wagers while laundering criminal proceeds. The suspect allegedly fled Korea in 2014 and spent the past 12 years moving between the Philippines, Malaysia and Cambodia before being arrested in the UAE.
The suspect also faces allegations of evading about 66 billion won in taxes, as well as providing and using illegal drugs and soliciting prostitution in connection with the gambling operation. Authorities said they also plan to investigate possible links to the 2018 death of a Korean national in Malaysia.
The second suspect allegedly operated gambling websites that handled about 500 billion won in wagers. Prosecutors said the suspect recruited middle and high school students through domestic associates and used them as sales agents to attract customers to the illegal gambling platforms.
The repatriation was coordinated by the government’s task force on transnational crime, which includes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the National Intelligence Service, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, the National Police Agency, the Korea Customs Service, the National Tax Service and the Financial Services Commission.
Authorities said participating agencies spent years tracking the suspects’ whereabouts while investigating criminal proceeds and identifying accomplices.
The government said the extradition was completed with active assistance from UAE authorities, who arranged transportation using a local airline despite disruptions to Korean carriers caused by recent military tensions in the Middle East.
Authorities said they will use the case to expand international cooperation targeting cyber gambling syndicates operating abroad, while intensifying efforts to identify accomplices and recover criminal assets.
“We will pursue suspects to the end, no matter where they flee, and ensure they are brought to justice,” the government said in a statement.
BY PARK JONG-SUH [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]