BES dismantles network of underground gambling halls in Bila Tserkva
The operations of an illegal gambling network consisting of three establishments in Bila Tserkva have been halted, and the organizers of the illicit business have already been notified of suspicion, the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) said on its website on Thursday.
According to the investigation, the closed establishments operated without licenses or tax payments, disguising their activities in rented commercial premises and on the ground floors of residential buildings. Entrance to the halls was permitted exclusively by recommendation to a limited circle of clients.
During a series of searches at the service locations and the homes of the case subjects, detectives seized computer equipment, video cameras, cash registers, and thermal printers. In addition, law enforcement officers discovered rough accounting documentation, mobile phones, electronic storage media, cash, and weapons.
The criminal proceeding is being investigated under Part 2 of Article 203-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provides for liability for organizing gambling games without a license, committed as part of an organized group. The full list of participants in the scheme is currently being established. Operational support for the investigation was provided by the Internal Security Department of the National Police under the procedural guidance of the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
The bureau recalled that the BES has signed a tripartite memorandum with the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the state agency PlayCity to coordinate efforts in combating the shadow gambling market.