Findings by officers of the Criminal Division of the Bolesławiec police unit, using operational techniques and other tools, led to the collection of extensive evidence confirming that venues with gambling machines operated in the county and belonged to a married couple. The owners employed staff responsible for individual elements of the entire criminal business. Entry to the premises was monitored and strictly controlled, and each machine could be remotely disconnected from the power supply.
The group included, among others, an IT specialist living in Opole Voivodeship, who handled technical matters. Meanwhile, a resident of Bolesławiec County dealt on site with collecting cash and settling accounts involving money and employees for the bosses.
Joint actions by officers of the County Police Headquarters in Bolesławiec, the Economic Crime Department of the Lower Silesian Provincial Police Headquarters in Wrocław and the Lower Silesian Customs and Tax Office led to simultaneous entry into the suspects’ homes and their arrests. At the same time, the services also entered venues containing gambling machines.
In total, nine people were arrested in Bolesławiec County and Opole Voivodeship, and 27 gaming machines were seized at six venues that were shut down. During searches of the premises and homes, the suspects’ assets were seized, including cash, cars and real estate worth a total of PLN 4.5 million.
At the request of the District Prosecutor’s Office in Jelenia Góra, the District Court in Bolesławiec ordered three months of temporary detention for four people. The married couple who led the criminal group face up to 10 years in prison, while their two closest associates face up to 5 years in prison. The other detainees in the case, for operating venues where gambling took place, face up to 3 years in prison.