At a time when illegal gambling in Europe has supposedly reached 79%, Europol is trying to continue pressuring black-market operators and bring those responsible to justice.
In a recent operation, Europol successfully deployed 150 police officers in Sweden and Spain who targeted unlawful gambling operations that were also used to launder money. Authorities were able to seize hundreds of thousands of euros across six locations in Stockholm, Sweden, and two in Murcia, Spain.
Five suspects were arrested, who are said to be a part of a drug organization that has been running rampant across the Nordics and is associated with illegal gambling as well as other criminal enterprises.
The scheme supposedly generated $23.16 million annually, Europol reported, arguing that it will continue to dismantle such criminal operations on its watch. The latest action involved the Spanish National Police as well as the Swedish Police Authority.
Swedish police, in particular, have been particularly proactive. Only recently, police officers targeted an underground poker club during a game involving 100 players.
Spain has generally been calling for tougher action against illegal gambling, and the national regulator recently proposed a broader cooperation between national watchdogs across the European Union to exchange information and track illegal gambling operators.