Spain’s Civil Guard arrested two British and one French nationals in mid-August, after RCI-Royal Caribbean’s ship Wonder of the Seas docked in Barcelona (Spain).
The passengers allegedly colluded in poker games in the ship's Casino Lounge. However, the staff caught on.
According to Spanish authorities, the events took place while the liner was at sea. After the crew members found out, they contacted Spanish police and had them waiting when Wonder OTS docked.
A couple of the 3 criminals sat together at the poker table as the 3rd one took the opposite end. The job of that 3rd was to distract the dealer, allowing the others to swap cards.
On August 13, 2022, agents of the Fiscal and Border Unit of the Civil Guard of Barcelona arrested the 3 alleged perpetrators onboard. They charged them with fraud and seized EUR 37,000 (US$36,918) in cash.
Police did not release the fraudsters' names but announced that at least one of them is a repeat offender. After consulting police databases, the Civil Guard determined he had a police record dating back from 2014 in the United States for the commission of similar acts.