Illegal Gambling Targets Hearing-Impaired Accounts... 320 Billion Won "Both-Sides" Gambling Syndicate Uncovered

Busan Police Crack Down on 5.3 Billion Won Gambling Site

172 Arrested, 6 Detained in Major Investigation

The Busan Metropolitan Police have tracked down a criminal group that recruited hearing-impaired individuals for the use of so-called “borrowed-name” bank accounts and, in doing so, uncovered a large-scale “both-sides” gambling ring with a turnover of 320 billion won.

On July 27, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency (Commissioner Kim Seonghee) announced that, while investigating an illegal gambling website group operating through overseas servers, they discovered that bank accounts in the names of hearing-impaired individuals were being systematically circulated. In the course of this investigation, the police arrested a total of 172 people, including members of the account distribution network and the gambling ring, detaining six of them.

According to the police, many of the deposit accounts used for the gambling sites were found to be registered in the names of hearing-impaired individuals. When these account holders testified that they had only handed over their bank accounts in exchange for money and had not directly participated in the gambling, the police expanded their investigation, focusing on the possibility of systematic account distribution.

The investigation revealed that a sign language interpreter, identified as Mr. A, conspired with the gambling organization’s manager to recruit hearing-impaired people by deceiving them with promises of building transaction records and improving their credit scores. He then handed over the bank accounts thus obtained to the gambling ring for illegal activities.

The police have apprehended 92 members of the account distribution network centered around Mr. A on charges of violating the Electronic Financial Transactions Act. In addition, another 25 people, including managers of the “both-sides” gambling ring who placed bets totaling more than 320 billion won using the borrowed-name accounts, were all arrested.

The illegal gambling site that first triggered the investigation was operated in an officetel in Nam-gu, Busan, from January to May of last year. The group is accused of creating a gambling site with a scale of 5.3 billion won, using overseas servers. The police have detained two key operators and three habitual gamblers.

A spokesperson for the Major Crime Investigation Unit of the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency stated, “This is a vicious case that exploited the trust of hearing-impaired individuals to draw them into crime. We will continue to pursue criminal groups that target vulnerable populations to the very end.”

An illegal dual betting office set up in an officetel in Nam-gu, Busan.
[Image source=Busan Metropolitan Police Agency]

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