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Read Full BioSecurity agents in the Russian cities of Krasnoyarsk, Kansk, and Achinsk say they have shut down a network of underground casinos posing as registered bookmakers.
According to the Russian media outlet Argumenti y Fakti (Krasnoyarsk), the raids were coordinated by the Krasnoyarsk Krai and Khakassia’s branches of the Investigative Committee. The Ministry of Internal Affairs also participated in the operation.
‘Network of Underground Casinos’ – Police Raid 12 Venues
Investigators say they have arrested three people. They claim that the mastermind is a resident of Krasnoyarsk. Officers believe that this individual and his two acquaintances launched their operations in June 2021.
The trio rented several commercial properties and equipped them with computers that allowed users to run gambling software, officers said.
The group also allegedly hired staff to help them run the casinos. Employees included managers, administrators, and security guards, police added.
The defendants reportedly attempted to make their activities appear legitimate by disguising their casinos as licensed bookmakers’ offices.
Officers said they shut down 12 casinos in total, 10 of which were located in Krasnoyarsk, one in Kansk, and another in Achinsk.
Officers said they conducted a coordinated raid on April 29, with security forces raiding all 12 properties simultaneously on April 29.
Officers Confiscate Computers and Cash
The Investigative Committee asserted that during the searches, investigators seized between 200 and 350 PCs and confiscated cash worth between 500,000 rubles ($6,200) and 2 million rubles (over $24,600).
Krasnoyarsk police released a video showing armed officers raiding one of the venues. Inside, screens show sports matches. But deeper inside, booths are fitted with PCs and monitors adapted to run slot machine games.
Another video shows officers in a similar-looking venue in another city seizing banknotes and coins from a till. Officers said they also seized documents and other items that were used to offer more illegal gambling activities.
Police say their probe is ongoing as they search for accomplices and raid the suspects’ homes. Some of the defendants have been released on bail pending trial. If convicted, they could face up to six years in prison.
The raids follow the start of the trail of five people accused of running an illegal slot machine center in the city of Ivanovo.
Late last month, police in Omsk raided a suspected gambling den operating in a shopping center located in the city’s busiest commercial district.
