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LCI and Met snare poker cheats
Two men are in prison for a total of 14 months, one of them banned from casinos for the next ten years, following the quick thinking work of London Clubs International staff supported by the Met Police.
The duo's convictions are the first under the new Gambling Act 2005, after they were caught cheating at The Casino at The Empire, London Clubs International's largest London venue.
Mehmet Mersin and Suleyman Arik were arrested at The Casino at The Empire on the 19th May 2009 after they were caught executing a series of card swapping moves during a game of Three Card Poker.
The men were responsible for at least seven cheat moves on the 14th and the 17th May 2009 netting them a total of £5,115. Faced with overwhelming evidence they pled guilty to four charges brought under the Gambling Act 2005 at City of Westminster Magistrates Court last week.
Arik has been sentenced to six months imprisonment and will be deported to Turkey when he has served his time. Mersin, who is thought to be one of the key organisers of active Three Card Poker cheat teams in the UK at the moment, was sentenced to 8 months imprisonment and made subject to a banning order preventing him from entering any UK casino premises for a period of ten years.
Detective Inspector John Anderson from the Clubs and Vice Unit said: "There is no doubt Mersin and Arik planned to continue making money through cheating, and even believed they could get away with using false names and disguises.
"I'd like to recognise the quick thinking security staff at The Casino at The Empire who picked up on the cheats and the staff who collated vital evidence that was so strong the pair pleaded guilty."
