Photos courtesy BC RCMP
LOWER MAINLAND, BC — British Columbia’s anti-gang unit has laid charges against two people following a sprawling investigation into illegal gaming houses in the Lower Mainland, which turned up hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gaming equipment and nearly 150 kilograms of contraband tobacco.
The Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit’s Joint Illegal Gaming Investigation Team began looking into a single illegal gaming site in March 2023, but the probe quickly expanded to cover multiple locations, authorities said Tuesday.
Over the course of the investigation, officers executed several search warrants in Burnaby and Vancouver. They seized roughly $240,000 in Canadian currency, approximately 145 kilograms of unstamped tobacco, gaming tables and related equipment, along with a raft of electronic devices including cellphones, tablets, laptops and digital video recorders.
On Aug. 26, the B.C. Prosecution Service approved charges against two suspects. Shahrouz Younesi, a 54-year-old from Burnaby, faces one count of keeping a common gaming house and one count of selling unstamped tobacco products. Xiaoyi “Karen” Zhang, a 46-year-old from Vancouver, is charged with keeping a common gaming house.
All illicit gaming proceeds and seized equipment have been forfeited to the Province of British Columbia.
Both accused are expected to appear in court at a later date.
“This investigation highlights the scale and complexity of illegal gaming operations and the significant resources required to disrupt them,” says Sgt. Sarbjit K. Sangha, Media Relations Officer for CFSEU-BC.
“The resulting charges, seizures and forfeitures reflect the dedication of our investigators and the strength of our partnerships. By working together with our law enforcement and government partners, we are helping protect the integrity and safety of communities across British Columbia.”
The CFSEU-BC would like to thank the following agencies for their assistance with this investigation: Burnaby RCMP, Vancouver Police Department, Integrated Emergency Response Team, BC Ministry of Finance and Canada Revenue Agency.
