UAE arrests three Koreans in $2.3B gambling case tied to former Premier League shirt sponsor
Three South Korean suspects linked to illegal gambling websites that handled a combined 3.1 trillion won (US$2.3 billion) in bets have been arrested in the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE has apprehended three Koreans in connection with a $2.3 billion gambling scheme, according to a report by the Korea JoongAng Daily. The two principal figures involved were repatriated via Incheon International Airport on October 14. South Korean authorities are currently in discussions with the UAE regarding the extradition of the alleged mastermind.
The duo had been orchestrating gambling websites that amassed 2.6 trillion won ($1.9 billion) in wagers from nations such as the Philippines and Malaysia between 2016 and 2018. They allegedly utilized the UAE as a covert hideout to evade law enforcement and conceal illicit earnings. The software developer is accused of constructing a platform for a different group that facilitated 500 billion won ($372 million) in bets through five unlawful websites.
The leader of that operation was handed over to South Korean authorities in July. The investigation team, comprising the National Police Agency and the National Intelligence Service, collaborated with local UAE authorities under the codename "Halak," an Arabic term meaning "destruction." The suspects led extravagant lifestyles, hosting prominent South Koreans at high-end entertainment establishments while operating their illicit enterprises.
In 2016, the alleged ringleader and deputy promoted BetEast, an illegal sports betting platform, on the front of Swansea City's shirt and inside their stadium at the time. Swansea's front-of-shirt deal with BetEast was the most substantial ever, as the club described BetEast as an "Asian online betting brand." A Korean-language advertisement for the site was broadcast during Swansea's Premier League match against Chelsea in September 2016.
The broadcaster also revealed that the alleged ringleader, whose surname is Kim, adopted a new identity using a Vanuatu passport. The task force was established in 2025 following the death of a South Korean university student in Cambodia. President Lee Jae-myung acknowledged the UAE's cooperation in the matter, expressing gratitude on X in both Korean and Arabic.
Lee emphasized that the suspects had reportedly enticed even middle school students into criminal activities and used passports from third countries to conceal their identities. He stressed that "criminals cannot escape punishment simply by hiding abroad."
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