Eleven detained suspected of laundering gambling gains

The investigation by Israel Police and the Israel Tax Authority followed a raid on a gambling boat in Eilat in August 2017.

The Israel Tax Authority and the Israel Police have detained 11 suspects in an investigation of laundering money obtained from illegal gambling. The investigations are a continuation of the police investigation in August 2017, in which policemen raided a gambling boat in Eilat.

Since the investigation began, Israel Police investigators, together with income tax investigators from Jerusalem and southern Israel and in cooperation with the Eilat Tax Assessment Office, have continued their probe of the trail of money obtained from gambling violations that reached criminals after being laundered. The arrests were made yesterday and today.

During the arrests, the suspects’ homes were searched, and evidence that the police allege links them to tax offenses and money laundering was seized. The investigation is continuing. The owner of the boat, who the investigators say is the main suspect, was detained for two days for questioning.

In August 2017, a police force that included detectives and investigators raided the Atlantic X ship in Eilat Port. It is suspected that the boat operated as an illegal gambling ship. The police also suspect that either gambling or the beginning of a crime took place on land in Israel.

The police force that raided the boat found a number of gamblers playing in the games hall, and gambling equipment was seized, including tables, money games, and roulette tables. Israeli and foreign currency amounting to over NIS 100,000 was also seized, and it is suspected that this money came from criminal activity, and was not reported to the tax authorities.