Police launch betting raid overnight

LARNACA police launched a massive sting on three betting shops that lasted into the early hours of yesterday morning, confiscating large sums of money, title deeds and frozen rabbits – among other items.

Drug squad YKAN, Police Headquarters and rapid reaction team MMAD were among the services involved in the operation, which began at 10 pm on Thursday night – just a few hours after parliament’s discussion on a bill to regulate online gambling.

Confiscated evidence also included 12 computers used for online gambling, €11,710, $400, ?400 sterling and 160 cheques – the amount of which has not yet been estimated – and 11 de-activated rifles.

One man – the owner of one of the three shops – was taken in for questioning, charged and later released.

Commenting on the sting yesterday, Justice Minister Loucas Louca said the police had announced these operations would start a few months ago. “And they will continue in order to deal with this problem,” he added. “We hope that parliament finally passes the relevant bill so as to offer the police further ammunition to radically deal with this phenomenon, which has turned into a social problem.”

Police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos reiterated a similar sentiment stressing that “police operations of this kind have temporary effects, since the owners of the premises return to the function of illegal activities by replacing equipment each time it is seized.” “We have a legal and a moral obligation to protect and safeguard individuals, families and the wider Cypriot society at large from the consequences of a gambling addiction,” added Katsounotos.

Police also arrested a woman from Ukraine who was illegally residing on the island, as well as a man from Pakistan, who was working illegally.

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