Nine people, of Italian and Chinese nationality, ended up in prison in Prato, Pistoia and Pisa, and another three will have to stay under house arrest with an electronic bracelet. In everything 12 people were subjected to precautionary measures because they were suspected of a series of crimes linked to an illegal and clandestine betting system, as well as extortion. The betting took place online on cloned sites and in slot halls in the municipality of Prato. Companies registered in the name of nominees, false invoices, transfer of large sums of money to China and extortion: it would be a Chinese citizen who conceived and managed it the tax fraud system with others, all under investigation.
The operation Endgame it started at dawn today and is led by the Flying Squad of the Pistoia Police Headquarters and the Economic-Financial Police Unit of the Pistoia Financial Police. The suspects will have to answer for continued extortion in competition, criminal association aimed at the abusive exercise of the collection activity of games and bettingabusive exercise of gaming and betting activities, forgery of public documents, false certifications in documents intended for judicial authorities, trafficking and possession of narcotic substances, fraudulent evasion of payment of taxes taxes and emission of invoices for non-existent operations.
The investigating judge also ordered the preventive seizure of some of the suspects aimed at confiscation of sums of moneyor movable and immovable property, for a value of 1,184,000 euros and towards three gaming and betting rooms, five companies and a car. During the searches, the specialists of the Scientific Police Service of Rome, experts in the use of high-tech devices such as the georadar, they scanned every wall, looking for hidden spaces or hidden cavities. The Pistoia Economic and Financial Police Unit made use of the personnel of the Pistoia Group of the 2nd Florence Metropolitan Operations Unit and of the Casalpusterlengo Tenenza, as well as a canine unit trained in the search for currency “cash dog” of the 1st Florence Metropolitan Operations Unit.
The measurements were carried out with the operational assistance of the Mobile Teams of Prato, Rome, Latina, Lucca and Massa Carrara.
Clandestine gambling den in Vinci, Chinese citizens reported
The internet point was actually a clandestine games room with a vast selection of computer games. For this reason the financial police seized it in recent days a place in Vinci (Florence) and reported the manager and one of the patrons, both of Chinese nationality, with the computerized games available in the club, from roulette to Baccarat.
The gambling den was also sponsored in Chinese on social media. In the room there were nine gaming stations with computers and armchairs, a server used for illegal access to sites not monitored by the Customs Agency and monopolies to avoid paying the taxes due. The investigation, also carried out with stalking and stalking. Also arousing suspicion are the large comings and goings of people of Chinese origin, especially at night, and the presence of video surveillance equipment and a bell to identify customers. The yellow flames searched the premises, ascertaining the absence of any authorization for the activities carried out. 6,000 euros were also found, believed to be the proceeds of the day’s bets.
Tags: Clandestine online betting prison Prato Pistoia house arrest Assets currencies worth million euros seized
