Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) dismantled an underground gambling operation inside a penal colony in the Rostov region, local media reported Monday.
FSB agents seized playing cards, casino chips, a mobile phone, SIM cards and other equipment used to run the illicit casino at Penal Colony No. 14 in the town of Novocherkassk, according to a statement from the regional FSB office cited by the 161.ru news website.
A photo shared by the FSB showed multiple sets of casino chips and playing cards that were confiscated during the joint raid with prison service authorities.
One inmate was identified as the organizer of the gambling ring and reportedly paid winners an average of 100,000 rubles ($1,100) per month via bank transfers, which were made twice a month.
According to 161.ru, citing an anonymous law enforcement source, the organizer is a 30-year-old inmate serving a four-year sentence for theft. He now faces an additional two years in prison for illegal gambling activities.
The FSB raid comes in the wake of two recent prison uprisings in the Rostov and Volgograd regions, which have raised concerns about significant security lapses within Russia’s prison system.
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