Armed robbery at a Chinese underground gambling hall in Queens, New York… 1 person arrested, one person escaped
Seven armed assailants invaded… Nine Chinese men and women assaulted and threatened, robbed of $300,000
Illegal gambling establishments thrive in Chinese-populated areas outside New York… pointed out as a hotbed of crime
An incident occurred in the Flushing area of Queens, New York City, USA, where an illegal underground gambling house run by Chinese immigrants was targeted by a gang of armed robbers. It is reported that the victims were assaulted and threatened, had their money stolen, and suffered serious human rights violations.
According to local police, the incident occurred around 2 a.m. on January 11 at an apartment near 35 Avenue in Flushing. This was an underground gambling hall that was operated secretly from the outside world, and at the time, nine men and women of Chinese descent were staying inside.
Seven assailants wearing black masks and gloves broke in with pistols and weapons, forced the victims into a room, and ordered them to cover their heads and squat down. In the process, one male victim suffered serious injuries, and blood stains were left at the scene.
The gunmen ransacked the room and bags and robbed cash, credit cards, smartphones, expensive watches and jewelry, and also drove away with two parked BMW cars. Police estimated the total damage to be about $300,000 (about 400 million won).
During the investigation, some female victims reportedly stated that they had been sexually threatened with physical contact. The police are classifying this incident as a serious violent incident, not a simple robbery.
Police arrested one Hispanic man among the suspects and are tracking the whereabouts of the remaining accomplices. The arrested suspect was identified as a man in his 30s who lives in the Bronx.
Locally, it has long been pointed out that secretly operated underground gambling halls in the Flushing area have become a hotbed of various crimes. Due to the frequent cash transactions surrounding illegal gambling and the reluctance to report externally, it is easy to become a target of violent crimes such as robbery and assault.
The police said, “Illegal gambling places pose a structural risk that leads to crime,” and asked residents to be especially careful and requested information about the incident.
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