German gambling halls raided

Hundreds of police officers searched shisha bars, tea houses and illegal gambling halls across western Germany yesterday.

The officers confiscated €34,000 in cash, 19 gambling machines and three kilograms of shisha tobacco. Eleven stores were shut down because of violations against coronavirus measures.

Nobody was detained, but the raids were also connected to suspected money laundering and tax evasion.

The interior minister of the western state of North Rhinewestphalia, said the police actions were an important signal to show that the state is implementing a zero-tolerance strategy against this kind of crime. The state’s alleges that many of the illegal gambling halls are run by immigrant families.

Raids were conducted in the cities of Essen, Bochum, Herne, Witten, Gelsenkirchen, Dortmund and Wuppertal.