Spanish police arrested three guests sailing aboard the world's largest cruise ship Wonder of the Seas, under charges of fraud and cheating at the onboard casino.
The police boarded the vessel at the port of Barcelona on August 13, after casino management and ship’s authorities reported the incident, arresting three men, one French and two British nationals, report Spanish media.
Poker players attempted to swindle the ship’s casino out of thousands of euros by swapping cards under the table. The gang was caught with €37,000 (US$36,918) in cash, while playing poker at casino. The scam worked with two players switching cards under the table to make up a winning hand, as a third plotter distracted the dealer with talk, however casino staff quickly caught on.
The police unit received a notice from the ship’s management who reported that they had observed how three individuals worked together with the aim of defrauding the casino.
According to police report, two of the three individuals sat together during the poker game, while the other sat at the opposite end of the table distracting the croupier with questions that prevented the game from following normal dynamics.
The police reported that at least one was a repeat offender. After consulting various databases, the Civil Guard determined that he had a police record in the US for a similar crime.
