A couple from Kazakhstan are suspected of using hidden cameras and headphones to win $1.18 million at Crown Casino in Sydney, Australia. Media reported that the 36-year-old woman and her 44-year-old husband were arrested in Barangaroo, Sydney and charged with fraud for financial gain.
According to a report in The Guardian, a couple from Kazakhstan are said to have won more than $1 million at Crown Casino in Sydney using a small camera hidden in a Mickey Mouse T-shirt and “built-in headphones” that allowed them to communicate.
Police in the Australian state of New South Wales said on Sunday that a couple, Dilnoza Israilova and Alisherikhodja Israilov, had been charged with fraudulently obtaining financial advantage by deception after being arrested at a casino in Barangaroo, The Guardian wrote.
“On Thursday, casino employees observed a 36-year-old woman with a small hidden camera attached to her shirt,” a police spokesman said.
“Police were notified and went to the casino, where they arrested the woman and her 44-year-old husband,” Australian law enforcement officials said.
Investigators said the pair were in possession of “a small magnetic probe, a battery, and a cell phone with an integrated cradle that allows the phone's camera function to discreetly view, capture, or record images.”
Police also confiscated a small mirror used to hold mobile phones.
The couple arrived in Sydney from Kazakhstan in October 2025, The Guardian writes. Police said they applied to join the Crown the day they arrived.
The pair visited the casino several times in October and November, winning a total of $1.18 million, police said, raising suspicions among Crown casino management.
“Using mobile phones to take photos of the gaming table, the pair communicated using built-in headsets, through which they received instructions to place bets on various card games and ultimately defraud the casino,” NSW Police said on Sunday.
Police raided the couple's Kent Street home in Sydney, where they allegedly found other gambling paraphernalia, expensive jewelery and 2,000 euros.
The couple appeared at a local court on Friday for bail. Neither of them applied for bail and it was formally refused.
According to The Guardian, Dilnoza Israilova will have to appear in court again in February. Her husband, Aliserihoja Israilov, is expected to appear at Downing Center Local Court on December 11.
Organized Crime Squad Commander Inspector Peter Fawkes said police and the casino were working together to identify and prevent criminal activity.
“Our detectives work closely with casino security to identify and prevent illegal activities,” Fawkes said. “This close collaboration is vital to maintaining the integrity of gaming and is reflected in results like these.”
