A sudden police operation took place at the Royal Lihua Hotel in Sihanoukville, Sihanouk Province, Cambodia, where the gendarmerie, based on targeted intelligence, raided this decades-old establishment. The scene was sealed off, and 26 individuals involved were arrested, including 5 Chinese nationals. Law enforcement found a large amount of drugs, paraphernalia for drug use and distribution, including suspicious packages, drug consumption devices, and communication equipment. This case has caused a significant stir in the local underground gambling circles. The hotel, ostensibly operating as a casino and high-end accommodation, has long been a cover for underground gambling and drug activities, exposing the secretive chains of cross-border gray and black industries. Information on related cross-border gambling and drug cases and compliance warnings can be found on the PASA website.
Raid Operation: Intelligence Lockdown, 26 Arrested
This law enforcement operation was precise and efficient, striking at the core of illegal activities:
Operational Background: The Sihanouk Province gendarmerie, through intelligence investigations, identified the Royal Lihua Hotel as a long-term enabler of underground gambling and a cover for drug trafficking;
On-site Handling: Law enforcement controlled multiple areas of the hotel simultaneously, capturing 26 suspects (including 2 women), with 5 foreign nationals being Chinese;
Evidence Seized: Drugs related tools, suspicious packages, and communication devices used for transaction coordination were found in rooms and back areas, confirming the hotel's illegal use.
Dark Secrets of the Venue: Old Hotel Becomes a "Protective Umbrella" for Gambling and Drugs
The illegal actions of the Royal Lihua Hotel have shattered its facade of being a "legitimate entertainment venue":
Disguised Operation: The hotel has been operating in Sihanoukville for many years, with a casino and high-end accommodation as its public facade, well-known in the local gambling circles;
Illegal Reality: The police initially determined that the hotel had formed a stable illegal chain, with suspects responsible for coordinating and distributing drugs, while also covering underground gambling activities, achieving a "gambling-drug collusion";
Industry Concerns: This case has raised concerns about whether more similar casino-type hotels are secretly "harboring filth" and becoming hotbeds for gray and black industries.
Follow-up Investigation: Tracing Transnational Networks, Industry Scrutiny Intensified
The case is currently progressing, with Sihanoukville's crackdown on gray and black industries intensifying:
Interrogation and Expansion: All suspects have been detained for further interrogation, and the police are expanding the scope of the investigation, tracing the possible larger drug networks and transnational financial flows behind them;
Key Investigation: The identities, entry records, and connections to the casino of the 5 Chinese nationals involved have been marked as core investigative directions;
Industry Signal: In recent years, Sihanoukville has continuously scrutinized casinos, gray industries, and foreign criminal gangs. This operation has once again sent a "heavy-hitting" signal, indicating that the intertwined survival mode of "gambling, drugs, and underground money houses" is being gradually dismantled.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leader" gambling news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
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