Kazakh Couple Arrested for Using Spycam to Defraud Australian Casino

New South Wales police have detained a Kazakhstani couple accused of using a concealed camera and earpieces to cheat their way to nearly AUD 1.2 million (around $784,000) at Crown Sydney casino in Australia.

Couple Accused of Cheating in Crown Sydney Casino

According to New South Wales police, a 36-year-old woman by the name of Dilnoza Israilova, and a 44-year-old man called Alisherykhoja Israilov arrived in Sydney from Kazakhstan in October and applied for memberships at a Barangaroo casino in the city’s CBD on the very same day. The pair visited Crown Sydney several times throughout October and November, drawing attention after winning a combined AUD 1,179,412 ($771,800) across various table games. 

New South Wales Police said the couple were discovered when casino staff in Sydney’s central Barangaroo district spotted the woman wearing a tiny, hidden camera attached to her Mickey Mouse T-shirt. Authorities allege that they used mobile phones to photograph the gaming tables and received betting instructions through discreet earpieces, enabling them to manipulate outcomes and defraud the casino.

Speaking of casinos in New South Wales, casinos there will soon have to close late-night poker machines, as the government has mandated a 4 am deadline for the closure of such venues. Up until now, hundreds of venues operated poker machines around the clock, taking advantage of certain exemptions.

Back to our current case, police claim they found small magnetized probes, batteries, and a mobile phone equipped with an attachment that enabled its camera to covertly view, capture, or record images. Officers also seized a custom-made miniature mirror attachment designed for the same phone.

Both Were Charged with Dishonestly Obtaining a Financial Advantage 

A spokesperson for New South Wales Police explained that no additional suspects are being sought in connection with the alleged fraud. During a later search of the couple’s accommodation near the casino, officers discovered additional “gambling props,” luxury jewellery, and EUR 2,000 (about $2,300) in cash.

The couple was charged with dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage by deception. According to New South Wales Police, the pair appeared in court on Friday and were refused bail. The Guardian Australia reports that Mrs. Israilova is scheduled to return to court in February, while Mr. Israilov is set to appear on 11 December.

Detective Superintendent Peter Faux, Commander of the Organised Crime Squad, said that their detectives work closely with casino security to detect and prevent unlawful activity. He noted that this strong partnership is essential to preserving the integrity of gaming operations and is demonstrated by outcomes such as this one.