Video: A 63-year-old woman set up an underground casino in the basement of a high-rise building
In Volochysk, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, law enforcement officers uncovered an illegal gambling establishment operating in the basement of a residential building. The organizer turned out to be a 63-year-old local resident. During a search of her home, authorities seized over 400,000 hryvnias in cash and rough notes, and the woman was notified that she is a suspect.
At first glance, the unremarkable basement of the residential building raised no suspicions. However, it was there that the woman had set up her illegal gambling operation. The entrance to the establishment was through a locked door, and only a select few were allowed inside. When law enforcement officers arrived at the premises, an administrator and one visitor were present. Inside, police discovered equipment used to conduct gambling for money.
During the search, they seized personal computers with gambling software, other computer equipment, surveillance cameras, cell phones, and bank cards. However, law enforcement officers did not find the largest sum of money at the establishment itself. During a search of the 63-year-old organizer’s residence, officers seized over 400,000 UAH. Police also found rough notes that may indicate the operation of an illegal business.
The woman has already been charged under Part 1 of Article 203-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—illegal activities involving the organization or conduct of gambling and lotteries. According to the police, the pretrial investigation is ongoing. Law enforcement officials are establishing all the circumstances surrounding the operation of the underground establishment and identifying individuals who may have been involved in its activities.
The story is also notable for the organizer’s age: the 63-year-old woman was not merely connected to the illegal casino but, according to the investigation, organized its operations herself. Judging by comments on social media, locals still can’t believe that a retiree was able to run such a large illegal business right in a residential building.
Source: Police
As a reminder, a network of illegal currency exchange offices was uncovered in Kyiv, and over 7 million hryvnias were seized.
Earlier, a female officer from the General Staff was detained for accepting a bribe of $14,000.
In the Chernihiv region, a detained deserter attempted to offer a bribe of 40,000 hryvnias.
The SBU and the National Police uncovered 12 conscription evasion schemes in eight regions.
