Police conduct gambling raids in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia employed a large police force to combat criminal clans in ten cities during the past weekend. Police raids lasted in places such as betting shops, shisha bars, and illegal gambling halls. Police confiscated tampered gaming machines, as well as proof of racketeering and money laundering. NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) wants to crack down on illegal activities in the future.
Essen: Hub of Illegal Operations
Last weekend, the North Rhine-Westphalia police conducted a massive crackdown on Arab family clans who fund themselves via illegal gambling halls, manipulated slot machines, tax evasion, and extortion, among other things. The raids began in Essen-Kray, where shisha bars, betting shops, pubs, and tea rooms were targeted. Police zeroed in on a covert gambling center at the corner of Tempelhof and Heinrich-Sense-Weg.
Over 300 police officers were involved in the searches in Essen alone. In a short period, they found nine manipulated gaming machines in five locations. They also discovered security issues in another 21 gaming machines. Furthermore, police found a hidden entrance in a billiard room leading to a back room with three illegal gaming machines and a poker table.
The Essen police chief stated that the city is the primary hotspot of illicit activities. A dedicated police unit had tracked the clan's activities for years, and now the tax and customs authorities and gambling experts are all part of the investigation. Violations frequently occur in restaurants and betting halls. It is also important to note that Corona Protection Regulations were breached.
Essen serves as the primary source of income for these organized crime families through manipulated gaming machines. Police confiscated these machines, which operate as money-printing devices for the clans. Often, restaurateurs are forced to install these devices under threats from the clans, which also leads to tax evasion, extortion, and money laundering.
Multi-State Operations
Around 1,000 police officers joined forces against the clans on Saturday. In places like Duisburg, Bochum, Mülheim, Gelsenkirchen, Dortmund, Wuppertal, Herne, and Mettmann district, raids happened. The police uncovered illegal gambling locations and manipulated gaming machines in each location. In Duisburg, for example, police raided an establishment posing as a tea room.
They seized 16 unregistered gaming machines in Duisburg. All in all, the police in North Rhine-Westphalia had an impressive operation in Duisburg, seizing 19 machines, 34,000 euros in cash, and three kilos of illegal shisha tobacco. Eleven pubs were shut down due to severe violations of the coronavirus regulations.
Furthermore, 20 kilograms of duty-unpaid shisha tobacco were captured in Bochum. Police also conducted over 50 identity checks. It is unclear if any arrests have been made. However, since 2019, a tonne of illegal shisha tobacco has been confiscated in Bochum.
The Results of the Raids
Local politicians praised the police for their successful operation. The Essen's Council Member, Thomas Kufen (CDU), lauded the tactics employed and commended the collaboration between cities, police, and other authorities. The reassertion of the state's authority over clan crime and illegal gambling was evidenced during the raids.
NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU), too, commended the efforts and supported a zero-tolerance policy. Clan crime and illegal gambling were no exception, he added. The rule of the clans, not the law of the state, is unacceptable, and perseverance is required to tackle a problem that's been pervasive for over 30 years.
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Source: www.onlinecasinosdeutschland.com
