Police has begun a criminal investigation into illegal gambling at five big hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and Vung Tau city.

The Vietnam News Agency reported from Ho Chi Minh City that the decision was made on May 28, one day after police detained 81 Vietnamese after a raid on electronic gaming centres, designated only for foreigners and overseas Vietnamese.

The Social Order-related Crime Investigation Department (C14B) said almost all the Vietnamese gamblers detained at the Duxton, Foodcentre, Equatorial and Legend hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and the DIC Star Hotel in Vung Tau were released after they made confession.

Police are now temporarily detaining 10 people suspected of managing and operating gambling activities, the department said.

Colonel Hoang Tan Viet, deputy head of C14B, said during the raids on the five hotels, no foreign gamblers had been arrested. Police had only detained Vietnamese gamblers who did not hold foreign passports and foreigners suspected of acting as gambling managers and operators.

Viet also said the raid was not just routine but part of a special operation to crack down on illegal gambling organised for Vietnamese people.

Police are carrying out further investigation into the case to clarify the role of those responsible for organising the illegal casinos.