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Police shuts down an illegal casino in Moscow

Moscow police shuts down an illegal casino in central Moscow

MOSCOW, February 8 (Itar-Tass) — Moscow police shut down an illegal casino in central Moscow. It was located on Novy Arbat, and its owners earned over 121 million roubles during its operation, spokeswoman of the city department for economic security and combating corruption Irina Volk told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

The spokeswoman said police had been tipped about the location of the illegal gambling parlor on Novy Arbat Street 5/3. The casino was accommodated in a non-residential building, had no signs or advertisement, and its perimeter was under video surveillance.

Entrance was possible only under preliminary accord and upon recommendation from reliable clients. Despite the organizers' security measures, plainclothes detectives, pretending to be clients, entered the gambling club.

"After they saw that it was an illegal gambling parlor, a special task force unit blocked all exists and secured the entrance for personnel of the 1st investigation unit," Irina Volk said.

"While the measures taken, law-enforcers retrieved 58 game machines. Police estimates that the fraudsters' aggregate income amounted to more than 121 million roubles," she noted.

The gambling parlor was on the 2nd floor of the building. The first accommodated surveillance equipment, and the guards room. The 3rd and 4th floors housed a kitchen and rooms to store gambling equipment.

Police are ascertaining the identities of the owners of illegal the gambling business.