UAE Extradites 2 Korean Illegal Gambling Suspects After 10-Year Manhunt

South Korea has extradited 2 top-level suspects from the United Arab Emirates after a long-running manhunt over illegal gambling operations worth trillions of won. One of the suspects had remained overseas for more than 10 years, while the other was accused of involving middle and high school students in the gambling network.

Arrests In The UAE

According to the pan-government joint transnational crime special response task force, or TF, suspects A and B were arrested in the UAE through cooperation with local authorities and extradited to Korea via Incheon Airport on the 4th. The process involved various institutions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, National Intelligence Service, Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, Korean National Police Agency, Korea Customs Service, National Tax Service, and the Financial Services Commission.

The government noted that the arrests were part of a wider move aimed at tracing and dismantling the gambling operations overseas that have been continuing despite evasion by the Korean authorities. The operation also reflected extended coordination with UAE authorities despite logistical difficulties in the region.

Suspect A’s Network

Person A is charged with being responsible for the establishment of an online gambling website valued at about 4.8 trillion won in Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines. The person fled to other countries after 2014 and was moving around in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Cambodia.

After 12 years on the run, A was arrested in the UAE and brought back to Korea. Authorities also allege that A evaded taxes totalling 66 billion won through the gambling operation.

Investigators are also looking into allegations of drug-related offences and prostitution linked to A. The government said it also plans to examine a possible connection between A and the death of a Korean national in Malaysia in 2018.

Suspect B And Youth Recruitment

B is accused of keeping members in Korea and mobilizing middle and high school students for illegal gambling operations. Authorities described B as a so-called general distributor who allegedly lured youths and used them to help run the gambling site.

The site operated by B was found to be worth about 500 billion won. The government said the case involved the use of young people as tools for crime, while also contributing to gambling addiction and the spread of youth crime.

The allegations place B’s role within a wider illegal gambling structure that depended on recruitment, distribution, and domestic support while the network continued operating abroad. The government’s statement highlighted the scale of the operation and the concern over its impact on minors.

Wider Investigation Underway

The TF said it had tracked the suspects’ whereabouts through long-term intelligence analysis and gathered data on criminal proceeds and accomplice ties. It also said the extradition went ahead after UAE authorities arranged transport using a local airline, since Korean-flag airlines faced difficulties operating locally because of the recent deterioration in the Middle East situation.

The government now plans to expand its investigation into accomplices of A and B, as well as similar cyber gambling rings that remained overseas for long periods while continuing their crimes. It also intends to pursue recovery of criminal proceeds and additional extradition procedures.

The latest case marks a significant step in efforts to pursue illegal gambling organisers who have operated beyond Korea’s borders while avoiding prosecution for years.

Source: ChosunBiz

UAE Extradites 2 Korean Illegal Gambling Suspects After 10-Year Manhunt

Arrests In The UAE

Suspect A’s Network

Suspect B And Youth Recruitment

Wider Investigation Underway

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