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Phan Sào Nam and Nguyễn Văn Dương, ringleaders of a VNĐ10 trillion online gambling ring. — Photo courtesy of the Public Security Ministry Viet Nam News PHÚ THỌ — The case file on a massive police-backed online gambling ring worth VNĐ9.8 trillion (US$426.3 million), involving high-ranking police officials has been completed and submitted to the court, the criminal investigation unit of Phú Thọ Province said on Wednesday. The northern province’s police are asked to bring to court charges against 92 people, facing a total of seven criminal offences, from organising gambling activities and purchasing fake invoices to money laundering, bribing and abuse of power. Twelve others are still on the run and will be brought to trial later, the police said. The ringleaders of the online gambling case (held via the card game rikvip/tip.club) were identified as Phan Sào Nam, CEO of VTC Online, a major tech company, and Nguyễn Văn Dương, chairman of CNC, a private high-tech security … [Read more...] about High-ranking police officials charged with power abuse in massive online gambling ring

AMD unveiled a trio of RX 6000 series GPUs, three RDNA 2 powered cards that undercut Nvidia's RTX 30 series in price with comparable performance and lower power consumption. AMD's three new cards all use the company's RDNA 2 architecture, which it envisions as the foundation of next-gen PC and console gaming. AMD designed RDNA 2 to provide an optimal balance of performance and power-efficiency. The architecture will also power both the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Along with increased performance and power efficiency, the GPUs also have ray-tracing capabilities and variable-rate shading. That brings the AMD cards more in-line with main rival Nvidia. The $649 Radeon RX 6800 XT is a direct competitor to the Nvidia RTX 3080. AMD says you can expect 4K and 1440p gaming performance that matches or beats the RTX 3080. At 250W, it also draws less board power than the Nvidia equivalent. The card has 72 compute units, 16GB of GDDR6 memory, and a 2,015MHz game clock. The Radeon RX … [Read more...] about AMD debuts first Radeon RX 6000 PCI-E video cards

No grounds to reduce former VTC chairman’s sentence in gambling ring: prosecution The Saigon Times Daily Phan Sao Nam, former chairman of local online game firm VTC Online, is escorted to the courtroom – PHOTO: VNA HCMC – There are insufficient grounds for the Hanoi Superior People’s Court to reduce the prison sentence of Phan Sao Nam, former chairman of local online game firm VTC Online, who played a key role in a multimillion-dollar online gambling ring, according to the Hanoi Superior People’s Procuracy. The trial has been examining 83 defendants over a course of eight days at the People’s Court of Phu Tho Province in northern Vietnam since March 5, reported the Vietnam News Agency. The defendants did not include Phan Van Vinh, 64, former head of the General Police Department and Nguyen Thanh Hoa, 61, ex-director of the High-tech Crime Division, both under the Ministry of Public Security, because they did not appeal their sentences of nine years and 10 years in … [Read more...] about No grounds to reduce former VTC chairman’s sentence in gambling ring: prosecution

No reduction in prison sentences of online gambling ring leaders The Saigon Times Daily Nguyen Thanh Hoa (L), former director of the High-tech Crime Division under the Ministry of Public Security, Phan Sao Nam (C), former chairman of VTC Online, and Nguyen Van Duong, former chairman of Hi-Tech Security Development and Investment Co., Ltd. stand in the courtroom in 2018 – PHOTO: TNO HCMC – The Hanoi Superior People’s Procuracy threw out appeals to reduce the prison sentences on two masterminds behind a multimillion-dollar online gambling ring involving former senior police officials. In its final judgments in the case today, March 12, the court accepted the reduction in prison sentences for 13 defendants, reported the local media. However, the court did not reduce the prison sentences of Nguyen Van Duong, 44, former chairman of Hi-Tech Security Development and Investment Co. Ltd. (CNC), and Phan Sao Nam, 40, former chairman of local online game firm VTC Online, who … [Read more...] about No reduction in prison sentences of online gambling ring leaders

Hưng Yên police cracked down on two gambling rings last weekend. — VNA/VNS Illustrative Photo Viet Nam News HƯNG YÊN — Police in the northern province of Hưng Yên arrested 27 gamblers over the past weekend and seized over VNĐ130 million (US$5,750) in winnings. On a farm in Như Lân Hamlet, Long Hưng Commune of Văn Giang District police seized VNĐ63 million ($2,800) in cash, six motorbikes and 11 mobile phones. The gamblers chose the farm that is far from residential areas to avoid police. Police also nabbed 17 people playing chắn - a card game - in a house in Tiền Phong Commune, Ân Thi District, and seized over VNĐ70 million ($3,100), nine motorbikes and 18 mobile phones. Article 248 of Việt Nam’s Penal Code prohibits winning or losing an amount between VNĐ2 million and VNĐ50 million or an equivalent thereof, a crime punishable by three to seven years in jail. The same penalty applies to lower sums if the gambler is a professional or a repeat offender. People sentenced … [Read more...] about Hưng Yên Police catch 27 gamblers

The Criminal Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security successfully dismantled an online football betting ring valued at hundreds of billions of đồng in mid-July. The ring was led by Nguyễn Văn Bình, 36, from the northern province of Bắc Giang. — VNA/VNS Photo Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — As reliance on information technology becomes ever more pervasive in society, cybercrime has grown rapidly both in quantity and sophistication in Việt Nam , experts said. The Ministry of Public Security has recently worked with police departments in 52 provinces and cities to dismantle cases of fraud through the use of the internet, telecommunications and banking system to illegally appropriate others’ property. The trick the criminals deployed was looking for the accounts of bank customers who did not subscribe to internet banking services. The criminals broke into the banks’ websites and then tried to find ways to access the accounts and subscribe to internet banking … [Read more...] about Sophisticated cyber crime on the rise in Việt Nam

Online gambling game Rikvip, which was later renamed Tip.club. – Photo laodong.vn Viet Nam News PHÚ THỌ — The People’s Procuracy of northern Phú Thọ Province said VNĐ372 billion ($15.9 million) that three mobile operators had earned from the recent massive online gambling ring would be confiscated. According to an indictment, after more than two years operating software via the card game rikvip/tip.club , an online gambling ring had managed to attract nearly 4.3 million accounts, bringing in revenue of nearly VNĐ10 trillion ($429 million). Three mobile operators earned VNĐ1.23 trillion ($52.8 million). Specifically, Viettel gained VNĐ913 billion ($39.2 million), Vinaphone VNĐ148 billion ($6.3 million) and MobiFone VNĐ171 billion ($7.3 million). The money was proven to have originated from gambling, so had to be returned by the mobile operators. After deducting taxes the operators have paid, the remaining amount of more than VNĐ372 billion ($15.9 million) is set to … [Read more...] about Mobile operators must give up cash

Expatriates love Vietnam’s “city for bikes” By Nhan Tam A Spanish family cycling around town - PHOTOS: NHAN TAM Expat Life escorts expatriates riding bicycles around the ancient town of Hoi An—a paradise for cyclists to get around on their bikes Paul Thauvin, a Frenchman, together with his wife and three children, last week traveled to Hoi An after celebrating the New Year in the port city of Bordeaux, his hometown. They had planned to stay in the ancient town for one month in order to experience the local way of life. The French family had also heard praises of Hoi An from their friends. “Hoi An is so peaceful,” says Thauvin. “The green fields remind me of the French countryside.” Thauvin is taking a break on An Bang Bridge after cycling along the rice fields on Hai Ba Trung Street. Cycling along the Hoai River to discover local rice fields, visit Tra Que vegetables village, have lunch at An Bang beach and return to the hotel in the downtown area is their … [Read more...] about Expatriates love Vietnam’s “city for bikes”

Hotels nationwide offer Lunar New Year promotions The Saigon Times Daily Mua lan (lion dance) at the Pullman Vung Tau - PHOTO: COURTESY OF PULLMAN VUNG TAU HCMC - Hotels and restaurants across Vietnam have launched numerous promotions for the Lunar New Year holiday (Tet), the country’s most important and longest holiday, which will take place early next month. Pullman Vung Tau The Pullman Vung Tau will prepare hearty meals with traditional Vietnamese dishes for families at Riviera Restaurant and special Tet High Tea menu at the Lobby Bar. The special Tet set lunch will be served from mid-noon to 3 p.m., February 6 through 10. Set menu 1 costs VND499,000 net per person and set menu 2 is VND799,000 net per person. The hotel will serve a special Lunar New Year buffet dinner from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., February 7 to 9.  The dinner is priced at VND1,199,000 net per person, with a 15% off for Accor Plus card holders. The special Tet High Tea menu is available from … [Read more...] about Hotels nationwide offer Lunar New Year promotions

NA passes new laws on corruption, housing, taxes (29-11-2005) Apartments are being built in the Me Tri Ha new urban area. — VNA/VNS Photo Doan Tung Ha Noi — The Law to Prevent and Combat Corruption, or the Anti-Corruption Law, was passed by the National Assembly yesterday. Prime Minister Phan Van Khai was appointed "Commander in Chief" of the Anti-Corruption Committee under the new law by unanimous agreement of the deputies. "The committee will not do the job of functional offices of the State apparatus," assembly Legal Committee director Vu Duc Khien reassured the deputies. Approval of the law was immediately followed by a call from National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Van An for the deputies, the Government, Party organisations, and particularly the Prime Minister, to take responsibility for the fight against corruption. The law, which passed with 75 per cent of the deputies voting for it, had great significance for the nation and its system of … [Read more...] about NA passes new laws on corruption, housing, taxes