Two Serbian men, aged 38 and 33, and a 32-year-old Hungarian woman have been arrested on suspicion of swindling more than £1 million from a casino at the Ritz in London in a sophisticated hi-tech scam.
The suspects were held after scooping the haul on roulette, and police are investigating the possibility that they used a James Bond-style gadget consisting of a hi-tech laser scanner inside a mobile phone.
The device could have been used to calculate the speed of the ball when released and its probable finishing point on the wheel. By the time the calculation was made, the gambler would still have several seconds before the croupier called "no more bets".
Management at the exclusive casino, a favourite of Arab princes and international playboys, became suspicious of the amazing run of luck on 16 March.
All tables are monitored using video cameras and experts looked at the tapes before calling in Scotland Yard.
Dr Mark Griffiths, Professor of Gambling Studies at Nottingham Trent University, said: "I haven’t heard of a laser scanner being used before but on roulette, mathematical systems have been used for years based on the speed of the ball and where the croupier puts it."
The suspects were taken to a police station and then bailed until 30 March.
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