Vietnamese Lottery Bookie Arrested for Operating Illegal Gambling Den Under Money Transfer Facade

Phnom Penh: A woman accused of operating as a bookie for Vietnamese lottery numbers, using a money transfer service as a front, has been arrested and placed under temporary detention. Judge Chin Mora of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court issued an order on September 3, 2026, for the provisional detention of the suspect. The detention order specified the suspect as Chea Kim Hong, also known as Chea Mai, female, born September 5, 1996. Prior to her arrest, she resided at House No. 5BEO, Street 109, Wat Phnom Commune, 7 Makara District, Phnom Penh. She is under investigation for operating an illegal gambling establishment, an offense committed at House No. 5BEO, Street 109, Wat Phnom Commune, 7 Makara District, on September 1, 2026, in violation of Article 5 of the Law on the Suppression of Illegal Gambling. Article 5 of the Law on the Suppression of Illegal Gambling stipulates that individuals who open gambling establishments, as well as those who possess, manage, or act as agents for such establishments, shall be subject to a fine ranging from 5 million to 20 million Riel and imprisonment from one to five years. The detention order mandates that the suspect be temporarily held at the Correctional Center No. 2 (M2). It is reported that on the afternoon of September 1, 2026, law enforcement officers from the 7 Makara District Police intervened and cracked down on a long-standing Vietnamese lottery (number lottery) operation disguised as a money transfer service at House No. 5E0, Street 109, Wat Phnom Commune, 7 Makara District, Phnom Penh. The owner of the location, Chea Kim Hong, also known as Chea Mai, aged 31, was apprehended and taken for questioning at the 7 Makara District Police Inspectorate before the case file was prepared for submission to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court for legal proceedings. The crackdown on this Vietnamese lottery operation was led by Colonel Chun Bunnan, Inspector of the 7 Makara District Police Inspectorate, with the cooperation of the Prosecutor's Office of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court. It is noteworthy that the aforementioned Vietnamese lottery operation, operating under the guise of a money transfer service, had been active for many years without detection. The perpetrators allegedly concealed their illegal gambling activities so effectively that authorities were unaware. The clientele primarily consisted of women visiting the market for food shopping, who would conduct their betting activities under the pretense of money transfers or exchanges. The operation was eventually exposed when individuals who had incurred significant debts from betting began to complain, leading to the information reaching law enforcement and subsequent raid. One source commented, "This time, the stench has been cleared."