Chinese authorities arrest 14 Koreans for luring gamblers

Chinese authorities had arrested 14 South Koreans on Wednesday for allegedly trying to lure Chinese citizens into foreigner-only casinos in Korea.

The Koreans arrested were employees from travel agencies and two of South Korea’s largest casino operators— Paradise Co. and Grand Korea Leisure Co.

A source at the South Korean Embassy in Beijing told Yonhap News that the charges include violations of foreign currency laws and attracting Chinese citizens to casinos.

In February, China’s Ministry of Public Security Deputy Director Hua Jingfeng announced that authorities would pursue and prosecute operators from other countries who had “set up offices in China to attract and drum up interest from Chinese citizens to go abroad and gamble.