Taiwanese-Led $38M Money Laundering Operation Busted in Vietnam

Police in Vietnam's Ha Tinh province, in a coordinated multi-province operation, have dismantled a transnational money laundering and gambling ring with transactions totaling over VND1 trillion (more than $38 million). The operation was allegedly led by five individuals from Taiwan (China) and had been active since April 2026.

Investigators have identified the five alleged ringleaders as Chang Chia Hsien, 31; Yu Li Hao, 28; Pan Kun Yen, 34; Hsueh Wei Chung, 32; and Lin Huy Mei, 25. The group established command centers by renting multiple apartments across three complexes in Ho Chi Minh City, where the foreign nationals directly managed a team of Vietnamese employees.

According to the initial investigation, the ring implemented strict security measures to avoid detection. They hired several Vietnamese citizens to register SIM cards and open numerous bank accounts at various credit institutions. Each of these accounts was assigned a transaction limit between VND1 billion and VND3 billion ($38,000-$114,000).

To further obscure the money trail, employees were instructed to use phone numbers for communication that were different from those registered with the bank accounts, complicating tracking efforts by authorities. The investigation revealed the network specialized in providing money laundering services for online gambling platforms operating both within Vietnam and internationally.

In just over two months, from April 2026 until the raids, the group channeled illicit funds through 266 separate bank accounts.

After gathering sufficient evidence, the Criminal Police Division of Ha Tinh Provincial Police mobilized dozens of officers in early June 2026. In coordination with local police, they conducted simultaneous raids and summoned 36 suspects for questioning across Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Ha Tinh, Lam Dong, and Da Nang. Authorities seized 56 personal mobile phones, 266 specialized phones used for the laundering operations, three laptops, and other related documents.

The Ha Tinh Provincial Police Investigation Bureau has formally initiated legal proceedings and filed charges against the defendants to further investigate the gambling and money laundering activities as prescribed by law.