Coljuegos, the Colombian Gambling Authority, brought in the Military Police Battalion No. 2 of the National Army to help seize 293 illegal gambling items as part of a raid in the city of Barranquilla.
The list of items included 157 slot machines, internet betting modules and roulette wheels.
All of the seized items will be destroyed by Coljuegos to ensure they do not return to illegal operations.
In addition, seven establishments were closed and sealed as part of the investigation.
Marco Emilio Hincapié, Coljuegos President, said: "We dealt a resounding blow against the mafias that are dedicated to operating and distributing illegal machines on the Atlantic coast.
“This is the result of inter-institutional work that seeks to safeguard the resources that are transferred for health.”
Any individuals found guilty of operating games of chance without a licence could receive a penalty equivalent to 100 monthly wages.
Hincapié continued: “We found 98 elements of assembly and manufacture of electronic slot machines, among which were screens, board cards, bills, CPUs, buttons, stabilizers and fans.
"We estimate that all these elements stopped transferring about COP 40bn (US$10.9m) annually in monopoly rents. That is, all that money stopped reaching the health system on account of these illegal activities.
"This is one of the most important operations we have carried out on the Atlantic coast, a region that was previously forbidden for Coljuegos. We are reaching all corners of the country to fight criminal structures."
Last week, Coljuegos reflected on the donations made to the healthcare sector in 2025.
Between all of the different gambling sectors, more than COP 649.5bn (US$176.8m) was raised and contributed to the cause.
Barranquilla is the largest city and third largest port in the Caribbean coast region
