Raid in Kiel uncovers widespread illegality in gambling operations
Raid on Illegal Gambling Operation in Kiel's Gaarden District
In a significant move to combat illegal gambling and drug crime, a raid was conducted in Kiel's Gaarden district on Tuesday evening. A total of 170 police officers, including officers from the 1st and 2nd Deployment Hundreds of Schleswig-Holstein, were involved in the operation.
During the raid, 25 locations and two apartments were searched, leading to the seizure of 58 illegal slot machines, various knives, imitation firearms, cash, electronic devices, and several mobile phones. The raid was due to suspicion of an unauthorized gambling operation through the illegal installation of slot machines, and in addition, violations of the Narcotics, Medicines, and Weapons Act were detected by the employees of the Gewerbeaufsichtsamt.
The General Prosecutor's Office of Schleswig-Holstein is now responsible for the complete evaluation of the evidence gathered during the raid. Magdalena Finke, Interior State Secretary of Schleswig-Holstein, stated that the raid was a decisive step to combat illegal gambling and drug crime.
Following the seizure of the illegal slot machines, they will be securely stored and held for a statutorily defined period, such as two years, to allow the conclusion of any criminal or forfeiture proceedings before disposal. After the retention period, assets can be disposed of. This may involve public auctions, destruction, or transfer to government agencies. Destruction is commonly used to ensure illegal devices do not re-enter circulation.
Politicians from the city of Bochum have called for the confiscated slot machines to be publicly destroyed as a means to set an example against illegal gambling. Law enforcement agencies may publicize seizures and disposals as part of broader efforts to deter illegal gambling and reassure the public.
The violations in one establishment were so severe that the City of Kiel prohibited its further operation and closed it down. However, critics question the enormous personnel and cost effort involved in raids against illegal gambling, and doubt whether such targeted raids would have a long-term effect.
Despite these doubts, the raid sends a clear message that law violations in the gambling sector and drug trafficking will be pursued consistently. The police officers were supported by employees of the Gewerbeaufsichtsamt of the City of Kiel during the controls in numerous catering establishments, and numerous indications of illegal gambling were found during the controls. The operation was led by the Coordination and Investigation Unit for Combating Organized Crime.
- The Coordination and Investigation Unit for Combating Organized Crime is considering investigating other online casinos in Germany, given the success of the raid and the discovery of illegal gambling activity.
- In light of the recent raid in the Gaarden district and the swift actions taken, it's expected that there may be a decline in crime-and-justice related activities such as illegal casino-games and drug trafficking in general-news, especially in prominent online casinos in Germany like this one.
