TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taipei City Police Department raided an illegal gambling operation in a residential community on Monday (Aug. 5).
Police received a tip about the hidden venue which specialized in Texas hold'em poker. The location of the illicit venue fell under the jurisdiction of the Daan Precinct, per CNA.
Surveillance was conducted, with police submitting enough evidence for a search warrant to be issued for a raid. This led to the arrest of a 28-year-old male surnamed Lin (林), suspected of being the head of the gambling operation.
According to police, the gambling operation was operated out of a residential property on Jianguo South Road since July. The operator was alleged to have illegally profited from gambling operations by exchanging chips for cash.
Police suspected Lin hired two women to serve as dealers and six other employees for accounting, converting casino chips, transporting gamblers, and other various tasks. Such activities are considered a violation of the Criminal Code.
During the raid, further physical evidence of illegal activity was confiscated, including cash for gambling operations totaling more than NT$600,000 (US$18,350), gamblers' chips worth NT$340,000, and reserve chips totaling NT$20.7 million. Surveillance cameras and money-counting machines were also seized.
Lin and eight staff were transferred to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office for gambling charges. As for the 10 gamblers netted during the raid, each is subject to lesser charges per Article 84 of the Social Order Maintenance Act for gambling on property in non-public places or non-publicly accessible casinos.