FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — East Point Police and Fulton County SWAT uncovered an illegal gambling operation on Friday night, resulting in the arrest of seven individuals.
The raid, initiated by an anonymous tip, revealed guns, drugs, cash, and poker tables inside the building, which was located on Sylvan Road.
“Yes, we received some anonymous tips in reference to that location. They said they were selling drugs and also a gambling residence or gambling house,” Chief Shawn Buchanan of the East Point Police Department told Channel 2’s Michael Seiden.
The investigation began with a tip from the public, which led to a 30-day surveillance operation by East Point Police. Detectives monitored the building’s activity and noted that it was unoccupied during the day but attracted large crowds late at night.
“We knew that building was not occupied during the daytime, and around 12 o’clock at night, one o’clock in the morning, all of a sudden, 100 people would show up. So we knew some illegal activity was going on,” Chief Shawn Buchanan said.
On Friday night, East Point Police, with assistance from the Fulton County SWAT team, executed a search warrant and arrested seven individuals believed to be running the operation. All suspects are charged with felony commercial gambling.
Chief Buchanan emphasized the importance of maintaining safety in East Point.
“We don’t want illegal gambling or illegal knockouts going on in our city. So it’s very, very important that we keep those illegal activities outside the city of East Point,” he said.
The investigation is ongoing, and police have indicated that there could be additional arrests as they continue to gather evidence.
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