South Korean police have arrested 26 people connected to an illegal online gambling network run out of Dubai. The network processed more than 120 billion won ($90 million) over four years.
The Gangwon Provincial Police Agency said it has detained 10 suspects, including the alleged ringleader, a 32-year-old identified as A. They face charges for forming and operating a criminal organization and running illicit gambling operations.
Investigators say the group set up a shell corporation in the UAE in 2021. They used it as a base for two major gambling sites. Police believe the gang exploited weak international judicial cooperation. They also took advantage of favorable conditions for money laundering to run the operation from Dubai.
The network recruited staff in South Korea by promising high returns. It then sent them to Dubai, registered them as employees of a shell company, and issued them work visas. Police say the organization maintained a strict internal hierarchy. Senior members controlled the passports of subordinates to prevent them from fleeing. They issued all instructions through Telegram to avoid detection.
The Dubai-based front company funneled the revenue, while the group promoted the gambling sites through social media and YouTube channels.
Authorities launched the investigation after receiving a tip-off from the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation. They spent about ten months tracking the operation before making the arrests. Officers secured 6.086 billion won ($4.5 million) in criminal proceeds through pre-indictment seizure orders targeting the ringleader and key members.
According to a police official, the force will keep intensive crackdowns to discuss illegal gambling networks.
The National Police Agency of South Korea revealed that a yearlong nationwide crackdown on illegal online gambling led to 5,196 arrests. The operation took place between November 2024 and October 2025. This follows the identification of more than 3,544 cyber-gambling cases.
