Written by :
Published on :
Cyprus police have shut down a licensed betting operation following allegations of torture and organized crime.
The decision not to renew BookieCo Betting Stores Ltd’s license has effectively halted the company’s operations. The Cyprus National Betting Authority confirmed that the permit would not be extended after it expired this week.
BookieCo is owned by Lazaros Philippou, a prominent Cypriot businessman who is currently in custody. He is being held following a shooting incident last month. Court filings have also linked him to investigations involving extortion and violent enforcement tactics.
The decision not to renew BookieCo's license comes just days after police announced unrelated investigations into a criminal syndicate involving torture at an unlicensed casino. Videos of at least seven people inside a casino in Pyla being tortured turned up on the phone of an individual in custody.
According to the Larnaca Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the videos depict seven individuals—both Cypriots and foreign nationals—being subjected to savage beatings, with the 48-year-old suspect whose phone contained the videos allegedly seen forcing handguns into the mouths of his victims.
The victims were reportedly tortured to extort money or to force “confessions” regarding alleged criminal plots against the primary suspect.
The case has also led to the detention of a 27-year-old, while a third suspect remains at large.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
