Police in Thanh Hóa province reported on April 25, 2026 that they had dismantled a transnational cockfighting and gambling ring known as Viengxay, prosecuting 196 suspects and arresting 205 people in coordinated raids1. The operation was carried out with the Ministry of Public Security's Criminal Police Department, Vietnam's police representative office in Laos and Lao authorities1.
The ring was reportedly led by Đào Anh Dũng, 47, and his wife Quách Thị Hằng1. It handled more than VNĐ1.2 trillion (US$45.5 million) in transactions1. Investigators found the group to be a highly organized, professional and cross-border criminal network, with investors holding 3 to 10 percent stakes of about VNĐ400 million to 1.5 billion to fund venues for Vietnamese bettors1. Facilities included dining areas, canteens and guest rooms, and organizers charged a 5 percent commission on winnings to fund operations and distributed profits according to capital shares1. Quách Thị Hằng is accused of overseeing daily operations including reception, cashiers, accounting, broadcast and commentary, security and catering, supported by a hired workforce1.
Financial analysis showed commission receipts of more than VNĐ13 billion in 19 days from January 29 to the takedown1. The ring also ran online betting through the website tg999.live and a Telegram group, truonggaviengxay999, attracting thousands of Vietnamese accounts1. Four organizer-linked accounts recorded more than 10,000 transactions totaling over VNĐ150 billion from November 2025 to the arrests1.
Seized assets1:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cars | 36 |
| Mobile phones, electronic devices and documents | 186 |
| Fighting roosters | 23 |
| Passports and travel papers | 208 |
| Cash | VNĐ205.3 million |
| Frozen bank assets | More than VNĐ5 billion |
The Thanh Hóa Investigative Police charged 196 suspects, 60 with organizing gambling and 136 with gambling, and detained 147 pending further probes1. Authorities said the investigation had uncovered signs of unlawful detention and robbery1.
"Police in Thanh Hóa province have dismantled a major transnational cockfighting and gambling ring, Viengxay, that handled more than VNĐ1.2 trillion in transactions, leading to prosecutions of 196 suspects and the arrest of over 200 people in coordinated raids."
What it means for players
The case concerns betting on cockfighting, which is one of the games covered in the site's guide to Asian gambling games. The ring's venues in Laos were built to serve Vietnamese bettors, and the online side ran through a website and a Telegram group that drew thousands of Vietnamese accounts1. Vietnamese law treats gambling outside permitted venues as an offense, and the charges here separate organizers from players: 60 suspects face organizing gambling and 136 face gambling1. The 208 passports and travel papers seized indicate how many people were moving across the border in connection with the operation1. Police opened the probe after detecting a high volume of Vietnamese nationals traveling to Laos under suspicious circumstances1. The general legal position for players in Vietnam is set out in the site's guide to whether you can gamble in Vietnam.
What happens next
Investigations continue to determine full criminal liability under Vietnamese law1. Of the 196 charged, 147 are detained pending further probes1. Authorities have also flagged signs of unlawful detention and robbery uncovered during the investigation, which have not been detailed further1. No trial date has been reported.
Sources1 sources
- 196 suspects prosecuted in Viengxay organised gambling case, vietnamnews.vn
