Kyiv police closed a clandestine gaming establishment in a shopping mall in the city center in the early hours of Saturday, Zorian Shkiriak, an advisor to the Ukrainian interior minister, reported on Saturday.

"It cannot be ruled out that Oleksandr Yanukovych, the ex-president's son, could be behind this and a lot of other clandestine elite gaming establishments in the capital city through figureheads," Shkiriak said.

The clandestine casino was liquidated as part of a special operation against illegal gaming businesses declared by Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, he said.

"The number of super-modern slot machines is astonishing – there were 126 of them. Preliminary estimates show that the organizers could have a net monthly income ranging from $500,000 to $1 million, depending on the flow of clients! It is noticeable that the room was equipped with a secret safe hidden behind an electricity meter," Shkiriak said.

The necessary reports are being drawn up, the equipment is being confiscated, and an investigation is under way, Shkiriak said.

Detectives have yet to identify the organizers and owners of the illegal establishment, he said.