Close to two weeks passed with little leads regarding the March 6th heist at the European Poker Tour (EPT) Berlin, where four armed robbers ran off with over €242,000 ($329,000) from the tourney’s prize pool. Like a CSI episode, everything came together in the last five minutes, and in just a few short days last week, all the robbers were in police custody.
The still unidentified first suspect, a 20-year old man from Istanbul, turned himself in to German police early last week. Up through the weekend, the other three men were detained after he squealed like a stuck pig and identified all of his accomplices. German residents Ahmad el-Awayti, 20, and Jihad Chetwie, 19, as well as Mustafa Ucarkus, a 20-year-old of Turkish descent, were all detained over the course of Saturday and Sunday. I know when I think of names like Ahmad, Jihad, and Mustafa, the first things I think of are bratwurst, lager, and Saab.
It was previously reported that this score was masterminded by an Arab crime family, members of which allegedly were caught on camera staying at the Grand Hyatt hotel just days before the robbery took place. Sunday night marked the most recent arrest in the investigation, a 28-year-old Lebanese man believed to be the brains behind the brazen heist, as well as the getaway driver. Whether he part of the Arab crime family previously stated remains to be released to members of the media.
Although all members of the poker robbery have met the heat, the stolen money remains outstanding. The unnamed assailant explained to authorities that it was split evenly amongst the four culprits, so it’s only a matter of time before it’s recovered.
The recent arrests mark an end to a fast-witted investigation by German authorities and should bring a collective sigh of relief to European Poker Tour officials and players across Europe.
