\u201cSometimes large sums have been gambled that are in excess of an average monthly wage [for a police officer],\u201d said Naessens, who indicated that the investigation might snowball.<\/p>\n
“From the modus operandi, and the experience we have gained since the start of the investigation, we assume that this isn\u2019t just a problem in Antwerp,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Antwerp Police Spokesman Sven Lommaert wasn\u2019t so sure. \u201c”Of course, we take this very seriously, but the investigation is still in its infancy. At the moment, we are assuming that dozens of people are involved, but there is a chance that the number is much smaller,\u201d he said hopefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is simple: our people aren\u2019t allowed to gamble. Those that do must face the consequences,\u201d he added.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nHundreds of Accounts<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe rogue officers\u2019 racket came to light during a separate investigation into allegations that certain Antwerp police officers were extorting money from illegal immigrants. Investigators analysing the bank statements of an officer who had been suspended from duty in relation to investigation found that he had received numerous payments to online gambling websites.<\/p>\n
Further probing discovered \u201chundreds of accounts\u201d on gambling sites had been created by the Antwerp police force, who had been found to have been regularly gambling during work hours.\u00a0Investigators are now trying to determine whether any of the gaming sites are at fault.<\/p>\n
Online gambling is strictly regulated in Belgium. In order to qualify for a license, operators must partner with a legal local land-based casino and locate their gaming servers within Belgium. Those who don\u2019t are blacklisted, and unlicensed operators targeting Belgian citizens are liable to hundreds of thousands of euros in fines, and, potentially, imprisonment of up to five years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In Belgium, at least 30 police officers are under investigation by the country\u2019s gambling commission over allegations they stole the identities of hundreds Belgian citizens to open online gambling accounts. Law enforcement agents are prohibited from participating in all forms of gambling in Belgium and their national registration numbers appear on a blacklist distributed among […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":60588,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,19,60],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
High-Stakes Belgian Cops Stole Identities for Online Gambling<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n