Overview
- During a multi-agency Verbundeinsatz at a Marzahner Straße business complex in Lichtenberg, an investigator fell several meters through a suspended ceiling and was taken to hospital for intensive care.
- Police, financial and regulatory units uncovered multiple illegal casinos on the site and seized heavy slot machines along with reported drugs, weapons, counterfeit money and improperly stored animal carcasses.
- Twelve people were detained at the scene and authorities say criminal inquiries now involve about 18 suspects who are under investigation for offences including illegal gambling and alleged exploitation.
- Investigators have begun parallel structural checks to find out whether illegal building alterations, poor workmanship or deliberate hazards caused the ceiling to give way, and they have preserved and sealed the searched rooms.
- Officials warn that bulky seizures such as slot machines and limited evidence-storage capacity are complicating processing of material, and police say the inquiry will determine both criminal networks and safety failings at the premises.