In 2018, the so-called Hagen gambling hall family made headlines. The brothers Sami and Alican S., together with their accomplice Aslan H., are alleged to have evaded tens of millions of euros in taxes in numerous gaming arcades in North Rhine-Westphalia. Seven tonnes of small change alone were seized at the time. The head of the gang, Sami S., went into hiding after his conviction and has only now been arrested.

The Hagen amusement arcade family caused a nationwide sensation a few years ago: The brothers Sami and Alican S. and their accomplice Aslan H. allegedly used a network of gaming arcades and rigged machines to evade the tax authorities for tens of millions of euros over a decade.

The case culminated in a major trial in 2019, in which Sami S., the alleged head of the group, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison - for tax and duty evasion in more than 650 cases, among other things. At the start of the trial, we reported on the auction of the gambling hall family's luxury cars.

However, instead of starting his sentence, S. obtained an exit permit to fly to Turkey due to an allegedly serious illness of his mother. He went into hiding there and evaded punishment for more than four years.

Now his escape came to a spectacular end: on his arrival at Düsseldorf airport, the police arrested him under strict security measures. This turning point brings the case back into the spotlight: a good opportunity for us to take another look (with new details) at the background to one of the biggest tax fraud offences in the gambling sector.

What happened? Manipulated machines, tax evasion of 48 million euros and 7 tonnes of small change

A large-scale raid in September 2018 involving 170 police officers and tax investigators uncovered a network of tax fraud and money laundering that had gone unnoticed for over a decade. In several cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, including Hilden and Langenfeld, investigators searched gambling halls, flats and business premises belonging to the S family. Incidentally, there was also a major raid on illegal gambling in East Frisia, where even more officers were involved.

Among other things, millions in cash, ten luxury vehicles - including a gold AMG Mercedes, a Ferrari and a Lamborghini - as well as incriminating documents and computer files were seized. Another explosive discovery was several weapons. According to media reports, the members of the clan apparently wanted to protect themselves against potential competitors. This discovery emphasises the professionalism and at the same time the unscrupulousness with which the perpetrators operated their network. Not quite as impressive, but also anything but commonplace, were the finds at a large-scale illegal poker round in Munich.

The decisive clue came from a chance discovery: during investigations into another case, officers came across a laptop in one of the family's flats that contained detailed data on the manipulation of slot machines.

  • It soon became clear that the masterminds had systematically influenced the technical records of gaming machines with the help of special software in order to simulate lower turnover. This not only deprived amusement arcade operators of their income, but also caused tax losses totalling 48.4 million euros. Recently, the Frankfurt police destroyed 45 illegal or partially hacked gaming machines to set an example.
  • The illicit money was mainly stashed away in cash - in the flat of the clan mother alone, which the family referred to as the ‘Kasa’ (cash box) according to information from Bild, investigators found 4.5 million euros in safes.
  • The members of the group received up to 100,000 euros in cash every month. On top of this, there were expensive luxury cars and other benefits, as was reported in the press. It was also suspected that a lot of money was invested in expensive property and yachts in Turkey.
To transport the confiscated money, three armoured cash transporters had to be used to bring around five million euros in cash to the Bundesbank. This included coins from currency exchange machines with a total weight of an incredible seven tonnes.

According to the indictment, the brothers Sami and Alican S. operated a close-knit network from 2008 to 2018 to pursue their criminal activities. Sami S., who is considered the main perpetrator, was accused of 743 criminal offences alone, including tax evasion and the commercial falsification of technical records. The extent of the offences was extraordinary, even for experienced investigators.

Conclusion

The case of the Hagen gambling hall family remains one of the most spectacular tax fraud offences in Germany: manipulated slot machines in a far-reaching network, a loss of 48.4 million euros, seven tonnes of coins, luxury cars, weapons and an escape that lasted more than four years. The head of the gang, Sami S., was initially able to escape prison, but his return to Germany is now likely to have far-reaching consequences.

The circumstances of his escape and disappearance in Turkey will probably mean that S. will have to reckon with a longer sentence than the five and a half years originally imposed. In addition to the contempt of German justice, there could be new investigations into aiding and abetting flight, money laundering or other offences. The authorities now have a lot of work to do once again, but will finally have the opportunity to comprehensively review the events in order to ensure that the main perpetrator is held accountable for all offences committed. The reason why Sami S. returned to Germany remains unclear.

Image source: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/ai-generated-arrest-handcuffs-8775948/

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