Isha Sesay
THIS is the moment Policia Nacional stormed a Chinese restaurant in Palma de Mallorca, uncovering six individuals gambling illegally inside.
The police had received a tip-off from a local resident who reported hearing several people making loud noises in the establishment’s back room.
As the restaurant’s owners had previously been denounced for organising illicit games of ‘mahong‘, a popular Chinese game similar to dominoes, officers moved swiftly to the address.
Covert surveillance revealed that several people were leaving the premises without any food or drink in their hands.
This in itself is a violation of the state of alarm decree which only permits restaurant’s to operate for takeaways.
The pursing raid uncovered six people playing mahong with almost €3,000 in cash, in addition to betting accessories such as poker chips and cards.
The alleged players were arrested and taken back to the police headquarters where they have been charged with a string of offences including gambling without a license and breaching the state confinement.
