South Korea extradites gambling ring suspects from UAE

South Korean authorities said Saturday, July 4, they have extradited two suspects from the United Arab Emirates accused of operating large-scale illegal online gambling networks, following a coordinated international operation.

According to a pan-government special task force on transnational crime, cited by Korean media, one of the suspects is believed to have run an overseas gambling platform valued at 4.8 trillion won (approximately $3.14 billion) from bases in Southeast Asia. The individual allegedly laundered illicit proceeds while evading capture for 12 years across multiple countries, including the Philippines, Malaysia and Cambodia.

The suspect is also accused of evading 66 billion won in taxes, as well as involvement in drug-related activities and prostitution-related offences.

A second suspect is accused of operating a separate online gambling operation worth around 500 billion won, which allegedly recruited middle and high school students into illegal betting activities.

Both suspects were arrested in the UAE in coordination with local authorities and were repatriated to South Korea via Incheon International Airport.

The task force said the extradition was achieved through extensive international cooperation and intelligence sharing, despite logistical challenges related to air transport amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The suspects were ultimately flown back on a UAE carrier.

"We will continue to track down and arrest similar cyber gambling organisations that flee overseas through strong determination and international cooperation," the task force said.

By Tamilla Hasanova