Victorian police have discovered two illegal casinos operating in the suburbs of Melbourne – part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged manufacturing of illicit drugs that has seen a total of 29 people arrested.
The first, located at a property in Carnegie in Melbourne’s east on 15 August, where multiple gambling rooms were set up and 15 offenders, including two staff members, found inside the venue allegedly playing illegal casino games.
According to a police statement they were all interviewed by detectives and released but are expected to be charged on summons with “knowingly deal with proceeds of crime and person(s) found in place provided for unauthorized gambling.”
The second illegal casino was discovered when detectives executed a search warrant in nearby Box Hill South on 20 October. Two staff members who were allegedly operating the illegal casino were arrested at the scene and a 43-year-old Chinese national charged with “deal property suspected to be proceeds of crime and persons found in place provided for unauthorized gambling.”
A 49-year-old man is also expected to be charged on “summons with deal property suspected to be proceeds of crime and persons found in place provided for unauthorized gambling.”
Poice said they searched another property in Box Hill on 20 October where they found cash and handwritten ledgers showing large scale gambling occurring at the venue, while more cash and casino chips were found during a search warrant at a property in Balwyn North. They also located four firearms, other weapons, a large quantity of tobacco and drug manufacturing equipment.
The search warrants were executed with assistance from VIPER Taskforce officers and members of the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC).
During the warrants, police seized around AU$600,000 in cash, a “significant quantity” of casino betting chips, large quantity of illicit tobacco and vapes, seven kilograms of methylamphetamine, five kilograms of ketamine, five firearms, and weapons including machetes, tasers, swords and daggers.
Detective Inspector Carlie Kohler of the Clandestine Laboratory Squad said, “We are continuing to dismantle drug syndicates as we work to reduce drug related harm within the community. Uncovering these casinos and putting an end to the illegal activities taking place inside them helps get drugs and weapons off the streets.
“During the early stages of this investigation, we identified the residential properties in Carnegie and Box Hill were being utilized as illegal casinos.
“These arrests are a crucial part of our commitment to dismantle organized crime on every level. We need anyone with information on illicit drugs being imported, manufactured or trafficked to come forward.”
The discovery of the illegal casinos is the latest in a series of similar incidents in recent years, raising concerns that the tightened restrictions placed on Australian’s licensed casinos and the friction points this creates for customers has resulted in a displacement effect.
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