On March 5th, the Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department (A05, Ministry of Public Security) announced that it had coordinated with the Hung Yen Provincial Police to prosecute 30 people for the crimes of "Infringing copyright and related rights; Organizing gambling; Gambling; and Disseminating obscene cultural products" related to the Xoi Lac TV illegal website ring.
On March 5th, the Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department (A05, Ministry of Public Security) announced that it had coordinated with the Hung Yen Provincial Police to prosecute 30 people for the crimes of "Infringing copyright and related rights; Organizing gambling; Gambling; and Disseminating obscene cultural products" related to the Xoi Lac TV illegal website ring.
According to the investigation, the ringleaders used specialized, modern equipment to transmit and receive OTT or satellite broadcasts of football and other sports matches.
They set up media, software, and labor export companies as fronts. Employees Chia into groups such as scriptwriters, commentators, document collectors, finance, and logistics.
The staff are all very young, mostly with bachelor's or master's degrees. Generally, they are very skilled and proficient in information technology. The recruitment process is also independent, so no one knows each other; each team focuses solely on its own work.
Among those arrested, about 20 were commentators. Police assessed them as "well-known" figures on various channels with nicknames such as Straw Man, Batman, etc.
According to allegations by authorities, the Xôi Lạc TV system inserted advertisements for football betting and obscene materials into its website in order to redirect users to related platforms and generate illicit profits amounting to hundreds of billions of VND.
Currently, the police have recovered approximately 300 billion VND, mainly from e-wallets and various other assets.
Xôi Lạc TV, a website specializing in illegally streaming international sporting events on the internet since 2016, is developed by an anonymous group. In the videos, the channel's commentators repeatedly claim to be living abroad. The domain name is registered through GoDaddy and points to a server with an IP address in the United States.
A representative from A05 stated that the group of suspects operated in a sophisticated manner, frequently changing locations and server systems. Therefore, identifying the mastermind and leader would require considerable time.
The dismantling of the Xôi Lạc TV system contributes to creating a healthy competitive environment and encouraging creativity. The actions of the Xôi Lạc group violated copyright and related rights, and the extent of the damages is currently being assessed and will be announced later.
This crackdown will serve as a "wake-up call" for groups intending to enrich themselves illegally at the expense of other people's creative work.
In the coming period, A05 will continue to fight against and dismantle other similar illegal websites. All acts of copyright infringement, organizing gambling, and gambling will be traced to their source.
Representatives from A05 advise people not to access or Chia links to XEM copyrighted sports programs or movies. Accessing these websites puts users at risk of having malware installed to steal personal information and bank account details, and being drawn into gambling.
