More than 149 gambling machines were seized after an intense operation carried out on Thursday, April 24, in the commune of Independencia, in the north-central part of the city of Santiago de Chile. The Carabineros raid was carried out in response to several complaints from residents.
In addition to seizing the clandestine slot machines, the owner of the premises, a Chinese citizen, was arrested. He operated the place with other individuals of the same nationality.
According to the commune, the premises were protected by a large black gate, which prevented a view inside the grounds, facilitating the irregular activity without attracting the attention of passersby or inspectors.
They also explained that the discovery was made thanks to anonymous reports on the “Alerta Independencia,” an online form that is part of the Plan Vivir Seguros (Safe Living Plan), so that residents can report cases of drug trafficking and micro-trafficking, clandestine parties, animal abuse, and any situation that puts the community at risk.
The mayor of Independencia, Agustín Iglesias, commented on the matter: “Based on the complaints that were filed against this business on repeated occasions, we have entered this premises. We will continue to inspect the different sectors of Independencia.”
“Illegal casinos in the communes have been a problem that has never been addressed, and in this administration, we have decided to confront it and inspect them all. This is a casino of great magnitude,” he added.
The commune also reported that the casino had been operating for ten years and even had a second floor and a kitchen. In fact, at the time of the raid, there were customers playing the machines.
