92 arrested in Vietnam for betting on Serie A
HANOI - Ninety-two people were arrested in Vietnam after being caught illegally gambling on the Italian Serie A in a sting operation
by undercover officers, police said yesterday.
The arrests were made on Sunday night at a cafe in Ho Chi Minh City during a live broadcast of AC Milan’s 3-0 win over Sampdoria
in the Serie A. Among the arrested were convicted gambler Pham Minh Tam, 39, who was handed a three-year prison term in June
during a massive corruption trial of Ho Chi Minh City mafia boss Nam Cam. Tam was released on bail pending an ongoing appeal.
The owners of the Hoang Yen coffee bar, a married couple, were also arrested in Sunday’s raid on the District 10 cafe, city police
said, adding that undercover officers had used mobile phone cameras to gather evidence. Nearly US$7,700 and US$6,000 in cash,
52 mobile phones and five television sets were confiscated from those arrested.
Despite being outlawed, football gambling is widespread in Vietnam. Low pay and poor motivation often make police an easy target
for bribes from underground bookmakers.
Agence France Presse - October 29, 2003
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