On 19 June, authorities in Savannakhet province detained 161 Vietnamese nationals during a raid on an alleged illegal gambling operation at a resort in Sepon district, local media reported.
During the operation, officers discovered multiple forms of illegal gambling, including cockfighting, card games, and dice betting.
Police also seized a large amount of evidence, including 49 passports, 69 mobile phones, cash totaling more than VND 2.1 billion (approximately USD 80,000), laptops, safes, money-counting machines, CCTV server equipment, gambling tables, and playing cards.
Authorities said the suspects and seized items have been transferred to provincial officials for legal proceedings, while the resort premises have been returned to company representatives pending further investigation.
The raid is part of a broader nationwide crackdown on cybercrime, online scams, and illegal gambling operations in Laos.
On 17 June, police in Xieng Khouang province arrested 17 foreign nationals linked to an alleged scam operation in Pek district, including Japanese, Taiwanese, and Chinese suspects. Authorities also detained two additional Chinese nationals accused of illegal entry and preparing online gambling websites.
The recent enforcement actions follow a high-level meeting at the Ministry of Public Security on 17 June reviewing ongoing efforts against cybercrime networks.
According to the ministry, authorities have dismantled 20 cybercrime-related operations since 2026, detaining 2,652 suspects of 14 nationalities.
Minister of Public Security Vanthong Kongmany said authorities will continue strengthening inspections of hotels, entertainment venues, rental properties, and border checkpoints to prevent criminal networks from operating in Laos.
