Colonel Hoang Tan Viet, one of the officials leading the raids, said police would file charges of gambling and organized gambling.

The ten people in custody include Truong Quang Hoa or Timmy Quang Hoa, an overseas Vietnamese from the US, and Duong Quang Huy, who allegedly organized gambling and instigated some Vietnamese associates to gamble.

The identities of the other eight, who include three foreigners, were not revealed.

Four Ho Chi Minh City hotels, the Duxton Saigon, Food Center of Saigon, the Legend, and the Equatorial, and Vung Tau’s DIC Star hotel were raided.

A few months ago the police received complaints that the five casinos allowed Vietnamese to gamble and cheated them using surveillance systems.

Everything above board: police

Viet allayed the fears of organizers and investors that foreign gamblers were taken into custody.

Vietnamese laws prohibit nationals from gambling but allow hotels rated four-star or above to run casinos exclusively for foreigners and overseas Vietnamese.

Neither force nor gunshot was involved in the raids which were not chaotic either, Viet said.

The police had told legal gamblers to remain seated so that they could identify the Vietnamese.

Following the raids 217 people – 81 Vietnamese gamblers, nine foreigners, and the rest casino workers – had been taken to police stations for questioning.

All except the ten had been released immediately.

Further investigations were underway.

According to Ministry of Finance statistics 43 businesses owned by locals and foreigners are licensed for casinos, with 1,232 out of 2,144 slot machines already in operation.

Source: Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre – Compiled by Tuong Nhi