100 People Linked to Illegal Gambling Activities in Moscow Arrested by Russian Authorities
Russian authorities have managed to crackdown an organized network of underground casinos in Moscow. Several Russian investigative forces came together to conduct a large-scale joint operation.
After several hours of investigation, and searching 80 addresses, consisting of homes and businesses, the authorities have detained 100 people. The list of arrested individuals includes A. Bazhanov, the head of the organization.
Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR) announced on Wednesday about the comprehensive operation. Thanks to their efforts, they were able to discover one of the largest criminal organizations in Moscow.
ICR is responsible for keeping corruption in check within the boundaries of the country. KGB’s successor, the Federal Security Service (FSB), and the Ministry of Affairs cooperated to conduct this monumental investigation.
The criminal organization started operating in May 2016, under Panorama LLC, a legal bookmaker. Within two years, the syndicate expanded its network to 15 casinos and gaming clubs in the Russian capital. The organization allowed illegal gambling to take place outside the premises of Panorama.
WinLine, UnionBet, and GreenBet were some of the different names the criminals used to operate under Panorama. According to ICR, the syndicate used an effective strategy to maintain secrecy among its members without impacting its functionality. For instance, the member at the bottom of the chain had no idea about the identity of the leaders of the organization. They had to use IP messengers and telephones to contact other members. The organization maintained hierarchy while distributing the roles of the members to allow independent functionality at different levels.
As the organization was able to maintain secrecy, they were able to generate revenue worth millions of rubles every month. Due to this, the leaders of the syndicate were able to invest in high-end cars and first-class real estate. Out of the 100 people on the list of detainees, 47 of the members will face charges for various criminal offenses.
After the Russian government got to know about the illegal gambling activities, they have been taking actions to uncover underground gaming clubs and betting shops. The Russian telecom company, Roskomnadzor, also ramped up their efforts to ban illegal gambling sites.
The Russian Central Bank’s new draft amended the Law on Information, allowing it to block sites which promote criminal activities. The Federal Tax Service also asked the government whether they could go through customer accounts to identify and put a stop to illegal activities.
Gambling continues to be legal in four zones – Primorsky Krai, Kaliningrad Oblast, Krasnodar Krai, and Altai Krai.
