Bielefeld police have carried out a multi-agency operation against suspected illegal gambling and drug crime at two former restaurants in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The searches took place on 27 May at premises on Jöllenbecker Straße and Torfstichweg, following several weeks of investigation by Criminal Investigation Department 22.
Police said investigators had established that illegal gambling was taking place at both locations.
The operation involved detectives, riot police, a special operations unit, customs officers, the North Rhine-Westphalia State Office for Combating Financial Crime and the local public order office.
A 55-year-old man from Bielefeld was found at one of the premises and is suspected of operating the locations. He was released after police measures were completed, while proceedings remain ongoing.
Officers seized small quantities of narcotics, three illegally installed gambling machines and one betting machine.
Police also said one site contained equipment and furnishings indicating the operation of a table gambling establishment.
A PTB-marked firearm, a large four-figure sum of cash and an LED “Police” sign for cars were also confiscated.
Criminal proceedings have been initiated against the suspect for alleged violations of weapons law, narcotics law and organising illegal gambling.
The case fits into Germany’s wider enforcement focus on unlicensed land-based gambling, where local police, customs authorities, financial crime bodies and public order offices often work together on restaurant, bar and kiosk inspections.
Germany’s gambling framework separates online licensing, overseen nationally by the Joint Gambling Authority of the Länder, from many land-based enforcement functions handled through state and local authorities.
Unauthorised gambling can also trigger criminal proceedings against individuals under German law.
Illegal gaming machines remain a recurring focus for German enforcement bodies because they can generate undeclared cash revenue and may be linked to tax, money laundering and organised crime risks.
Earlier this month, Delmenhorst authorities targeted suspected illegal gambling and narcotics activity in restaurants across Düsternort and Hasport, in another multi-agency operation involving police, customs, tax investigators and federal officers.
Bielefeld is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous federal state
