Greater Manchester Police executed four warrants in Manchester City Centre in a major enforcement operation targeting illegal gambling and associated criminal activity.
The operation resulted in four arrests, with suspects held on suspicion of a range of offences including immigration violations, money laundering, and breaching the Gambling Act.
One man was arrested on suspicion of providing gambling facilities without the necessary authority, a serious criminal offence under UK gambling legislation.
A fourth suspect was arrested on suspicion of licensing offences, reportedly linked to operating a late-night takeaway business without the required licence.
Greater Manchester Police seized over £20,000 in cash during the raid, along with mobile phones and a quantity of gambling-related equipment.
Officers were able to carry out the operation after intelligence had been gathered following a similar enforcement action conducted earlier in May of the same year.
Two individuals arrested during that May operation, Wing Suet Mak and Tsz To Kwok, are now scheduled to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court.
A police statement praised the collaborative nature of the operation, involving Neighbourhood Policing officers working alongside the Gambling Commission and Manchester City Council Licensing Team.
“This was a good team effort involving Neighbourhood Policing officers and our partners at the Gambling Commission and Manchester City Council Licensing Team. As a force, we are working hard with our partners towards being at the forefront of tackling illegal gambling and associated organised criminality. We will continue to build on the intelligence and take further action where appropriate.”
The Manchester bust echoes a similar situation that arose in Birmingham, when four individuals were arrested for operating an illegal gambling den in that city.
West Midlands Police issued warnings following the Birmingham operation, highlighting that underhanded tactics were being used to cheat players out of money on those premises.
Authorities in Birmingham specifically flagged that overseas students were being deliberately targeted by those running the illegal gambling operations.
Illegal gambling enforcement activity is not confined to the UK, with German authorities recently concluding a three-year investigation that led to raids on eleven illegal premises across the country.
