Income up to UAH 1.2 million per night: a criminal who organized an illegal poker club was detained in Odesa region
Kyiv • UNN
A 31-year-old resident of Izmail, who organized an underground poker club with millions in profits, was detained in Odesa region. He also controlled the criminal "cash fund" and spread influence to other districts.
In Odesa region, a 31-year-old resident of Izmail was exposed and taken into custody, suspected of organizing illegal gambling. According to the investigation, he managed the criminal underworld's "shadow cash desk" and, together with accomplices, set up an underground poker club with millions in profits. This is reported by UNN with reference to the Office of the Prosecutor General.
Details
Prosecutors of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office, together with investigators from the Territorial Department of the Bureau of Economic Security in the region, stopped the illegal activities of the so-called "criminal overseer of Bessarabia". At the request of the prosecutor's office, the 31-year-old man was taken into custody by the court on August 23 without the right to bail
He is accused of establishing criminal influence and organizing illegal gambling. Three more accomplices were involved in the scheme, who were also notified of suspicion. According to the investigation, after the previous criminal "leader" of Izmail left the country in 2023, the man took over his role.
He took on the main function of accumulating, maintaining, and distributing money from the "common fund" of the criminal world
The "Curator of Bessarabia" controlled adherence to "rules" in the criminal environment, resolved disputes between its participants, and gradually extended his influence from Izmail to the Izmail and Bolhrad districts. In 2024, together with accomplices, he set up an underground poker club, accessible only to "their own."
In one night, the gambling establishment's income could amount to UAH 1.2 million. During searches, equipment, black accounting records, USD 22,000, UAH 60,000, and EUR 5,600 were also seized
The organizer of the underground poker club, as already mentioned, is not for the first time in the spotlight of law enforcement. Currently, he is involved in two criminal proceedings and is accused of a number of serious crimes - from hooliganism with weapons and intentional bodily harm to robbery and assault. Throughout the year, investigators collected evidence of his influence on the criminal environment and coordination of illegal activities of other persons.