German authorities have carried out a massive raid against MGA-licensed sports betting operator Tipster, German newspaper Bild has reported.

Over 1,000 officers from the North Rhine-Westphalia riot police and criminal investigation department searched more than 100 locations simultaneously in several German cities, as well as in Malta and Croatia.

According to Bild, the investigation is related to suspicions of illegal gambling and the formation of a criminal organisation.

The police are searching for evidence and assets related to the investigation, with six suspects in custody.

The suspects, all male and aged between 34 and 60, are part of the company’s management team.

According to chief inspector Markus Niesczery, the six main suspects were arrested in the German cities Cologne and Brühl.

In addition to the police officers, prosecutors from the Central Office for Organised Crime, customs officials, and financial investigators from North Rhine-Westphalia are also involved in the operation.

The police searched the company’s headquarters in Cologne, where they arrested one suspect and confiscated servers located in a secured vault.

The operation lasted several hours, during which authorities attempted to gain access to the servers, Bild reported.

Tipster was founded in 2010 and is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and is also on the whitelist of Germany’s GGL.

iGaming NEXT has reached out to both regulators for comment.

The investigation is ongoing and Bild reports the authorities have not yet provided any further details regarding the specific allegations against the suspects.

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