South Korean president thanks UAE for help capturing online gambling ring leaders

President Lee Jae Myung thanked the United Arab Emirates for its role in apprehending three senior members of a large illegal online gambling syndicate that moved trillions of won through illicit sites. Two of the suspects were flown back to South Korea on Wednesday, while the third remains in the UAE. Authorities claim the network enlisted middle-school students, concealed identities with third-country passports, and enjoyed extravagant lifestyles overseas.

The operation also involved money-laundering through the Philippines and Malaysia, handling about 2.6 trillion won in transactions. Lee highlighted the effective partnership between the UAE authorities and South Korea's interagency task force on transnational crime, noting that criminals cannot evade justice by fleeing abroad. He pledged continued efforts to recover illicit proceeds and protect citizens from cross-border crime.