Cash and gold seized in raids by British police and Gambling Commission
Raids on locations in Sheffield and Doncaster led to three arrests.
UK.- The British Gambling Commission has reported that it took part in a coordinated operation targeting alleged illegal gambling and suspected organised criminal activity in the cities of Sheffield and Doncaster. The regulator says it supported South Yorkshire Police in raids carried out on August 5 and 5 as part of Operation Duxford and Operation Snaresbrook.
Officers execute warrants at venues suspected of involvement in illegal gambling and money laundering. Sixteen illegal betting terminals were reportedly discovered, alongside cash thought to be in excess of £110,000 and gold. Three people were arrested.
The latest raids come after the Gambling Commission said it would step up its enforcement activity against unlicensed gambling supported by a new £26m in funding over the next three years. Last month, the regulator took part in an operation against an alleged illegal casino in Bristol, and it was involved in a raid on a suspected gambling den in Manchester in June.
The regulator is also part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s new Illegal Gambling Taskforce, which is chaired by Baroness Fiona Twycross, the Minister for Museums, Heritage and Gambling, and also features a mix of experts and industry participants from the gambling sector, tech platforms and payment providers alongside government departments and trade bodies.
Sue Young, Gambling Commission Executive Director of Operations, said: “Illegal gambling isn’t a victimless crime. Unlicensed operators often have links to wider criminal activity, exploit vulnerable people and undermine legitimate regulated businesses. This action should send a clear message – if you’re running an illegal gambling operation we will work with police and other partners to shut you down and ensure you face serious consequences.”
The Yorkshire & Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit also took part in the operation along with local authorities and Immigration Enforcement.
Inspector Amy Mellor, of South Yorkshire Police’s South West Neighbourhood Policing Team in Sheffield, said: “This coordinated activity is a true example of partnership working at its best. Weeks of planning alongside colleagues has allowed us to develop intelligence and crack down on the harmful trade of illegal gambling, which we know can fund other activity linked to organised crime.
“But we’ve also cast a much wider net to focus on the issues that we know matter most to our communities. This is not a ‘one-off’, and work to progress investigations and home in on similar offending in our communities will continue.”
