ANKARA

South Korean authorities nabbed nearly 3,000 people, including over 1,000 teenagers, in connection with online gambling in the last six months, local media reported Thursday.

The country's National Office of Investigation said 1,035 teenagers have been rounded up and 566 of them were sent to counseling centers, Seoul-based Yonhap reported.

Separately, 75 adults were formally arrested, Seoul-based Yonhap reported.

The youngest person detained was a 9-year-old student.

The teenagers were mostly lured into gambling through smartphone messages, along with online and social media ads, according to the agency.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid​​​​​​​