Illegal casinos linked to alleged drug syndicate busted

Key points

• Police have shut down two illegal casinos operating from suburban homes and arrested 29 people. The arrests followed months of raids across Melbourne's east and north.
• Officers seized five kilograms of ketamine, seven kilograms of methamphetamine, $600,000 in cash, weapons and illicit tobacco. Police allege the methamphetamine was being trafficked between Victoria and Western Australia.
• Investigators from Victoria Police, Taskforce VIPER and the Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission led the probe, which began in July with arrests at a Bundoora home.