Police in Hung Yen Province have charged 23 people linked to illegal football streaming sites accused of promoting online gambling and profiting from copyright violations.
Investigators from Hung Yen Provincial Police said the group was involved in copyright infringement, gambling organisation and gambling activities through a network operating across multiple provinces and cities.
Image of a copyright-infringing website (Photo: VTV).
According to investigators, the ring ran several well known pirated football streaming websites on social media, including CakhiaTV, RakhoiTV and CaheoTV. The sites illegally broadcast international football tournaments and provided live commentary for matches involving the Vietnam national team.
The operation was associated with online commentators using aliases such as “Giang A Pho”, “Giang A Lu”, “Giang A Loi”, “Giang A Pao” and “Giang A Cay”, names widely recognised among football viewers on social media platforms.
Police said the group had also planned to illegally stream matches from the 2026 FIFA World Cup before authorities uncovered the scheme and made arrests.
Investigators said the network’s main source of income came from advertising online football betting websites. Gambling advertisements were embedded directly into livestreams during matches in an effort to attract viewers.
According to the investigation file, the group had been operating since early 2024, mainly through online channels. Most members had never met in person and communicated through social media applications with self deleting message functions to avoid detection.
Payments to members were allegedly made through anonymous electronic wallets.
Among those charged were several recently graduated information technology students, police said.
