German police swooped yesterday on a man believed to be the brains behind the European Poker Tour robbery in Berlin.
A heavily armed gang raided the Grand Hyatt hotel in Berlin earlier this month, venue for the German leg of the EPT. The shocking scenes were caught on camera and the gang behind the robbery were caught and arrested within a matter of days.
The mastermind behind the operation remained at large, though, until yesterday. Berlin police then arrested a 28 year old Lebanese man. Authorities described the man as "the brains behind the operation".
Berlin police said in a statement; "According to the current state of our investigation, the suspect is thought to have been the organiser. He also drove the getaway car, a black Mercedes-Benz"
The 242,000 euros stolen in the heist remains unrecovered, although it's alleged some of the gang have promised to return their share.
Meanwhile, EPT officials and police in Austria have beefed up security for the latest leg of the tour. Despite the robbery it seems the arrests and increased security have inspired confidence in poker players as 500+ competitors are set to do battle across the felt this week.
Ed note: Don't forget to qualify for big EPT events via the satellites at PokerStars
