Four Arrested After Mobile Phone 'Fraud'

Fears have been raised that the Ritz roulette scam could have been mirrored on automated roulette terminals at casinos on the Canary Islands following the arrest of two Maltese men together with an Italian and a Spanish man. The four were arrested in Tenerife on charges of fraud in casinos and falsification of identify cards.

Although police have so far been reluctant to release comprehensive details of the arrests, it was reported that on February 16 2004 the men left the casino with 3000 euros after 'taking photos with their mobile phones'. An identity-kit of the four men was issued by the casino and forwarded to the other casinos in the area. Four days later the men were recognised entering another casino where they carried out a 'fraud' of 1700 euros.

The men's actions were caught on camera, where they allegedly 'meddled with a roulette machine', The men are also being said to have entered the casinos with false documents. They denied knowing each other and due to appear in court this month.

Those arrested in the Ritz case were alleged to have used a laser built into a mobile phone which recorded the speed of the roulette ball and transmitted that information to a micro computer. It then calculated its decaying orbit and predicted which segment the ball is likely to land in.

At this stage it is not known if the 'fraud' used in Spain was similar to that used in the Ritz UK Casino, but the use of mobile phones and roulette 'fraud' bares similarities.