HPD Targets Three Alleged Gambling Sites in Apartment Building
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HONOLULU: Honolulu police shut down three alleged illegal gambling operations in the same Moiliili apartment complex.
The enforcement action adds to a wider HPD campaign against illegal game rooms and gambling-related activity on Oahu.
Officers from the Honolulu Police Department’s Narcotics/Vice Division executed search warrants at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at a residential building on Hausten Street. Police said the operation targeted three alleged gambling sites operating inside the same apartment complex.
Machines, Cash and Drugs Recovered
According to HPD, officers recovered 57 gaming machines, more than $12,000 in cash, illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia. The items were submitted into evidence after the searches.
No arrests have been made. Police did not identify any suspects or say whether charges are expected as the investigation continues.
Maj. Jerome Pacarro of HPD’s Narcotics/Vice Division said the operations are intended to do more than close illegal game rooms in the short term. He said each enforcement action helps police gather intelligence on people who organize, facilitate and profit from illegal gambling businesses.
“Each operation generates valuable intelligence that helps identify those who organize, facilitate, and profit from these criminal enterprises”, Pacarro said.
HPD Says Long-Term Investigations Continue
Pacarro said HPD will continue using proactive enforcement and short-term operations while building longer investigations. Police said the goal is to hold people accountable for facilitating and profiting from illegal gambling establishments.
The Moiliili operation followed another recent HPD gambling enforcement case in nearby McCully, where officers previously seized gaming machines and cash in a McCully raid. That earlier case also highlighted HPD’s focus on illegal gambling rooms operating in residential and commercial areas.
Illegal gambling rooms have remained a recurring enforcement issue in Honolulu, with police often linking the sites to cash seizures, narcotics and other criminal activity. HPD has said those operations can affect neighborhood safety and quality of life.
The latest Moiliili searches show that police are continuing to target alleged gambling rooms at the property level while gathering information on broader networks. The lack of arrests means the case remains open, but the seizure of machines, cash and drugs gives investigators additional evidence as they review who may have operated or supported the sites.
RELATED TOPICS: Regulation
