Da Nang police uncover $385,000 cross-border money transfer scheme involving South Koreans

On July 8, immigration officers inspected a house on Vu Mong Nguyen Street in Ngu Hanh Son Ward as part of its monitoring of foreign nationals.

Officers found two South Korean citizens suspected of violating the purpose of their entry in Vietnam.

Investigators later determined that Moon Soo Gil, a 54-year-old South Korean national, was involved in currency transfers and exchanges between South Korea and Vietnam.

Instead of transferring money directly from South Korea to Vietnam, Gil used multiple intermediary accounts.

South Korean won was deposited into accounts under Vietnamese names in South Korea.

The equivalent amounts in Vietnamese dong were then received by local contact Tran Thi Thien, 43, in Da Nang, and handed over to Gil in the city.

The transactions were split into smaller amounts and moved through multiple accounts in both countries, while bank transfers were combined with cash deliveries.

The group used the messaging app Kakaotalk to exchange transfer orders and images of receipts for verification.

In May 2026 alone, Thien carried out several exchanges and transfers totaling 24.25 million won ($17,880).

Since the beginning of this year, the network has handled transactions worth more than $385,000.

On Thursday, Da Nang’s economic police charged Thien with illegal cross-border currency transfers and imposed a travel ban while the investigation continues.

Authorities are expanding the probe to trace the full money trail and identify other individuals involved.