A married couple from Kazakhstan reportedly won more than $1 million from Sydney’s Crown Casino by using a tiny camera hidden in a Mickey Mouse T-shirt and a “deep-seated earpiece” that helped them communicate.
The couple, Dilnoza Izrailova and Alisherikhoza Izrailov, were charged with dishonestly obtaining financial gain by deception after being arrested at the Barangaroo casino, New South Wales Police said on Sunday.
“On Thursday, a 36-year-old woman was spotted by casino staff wearing a small, discrete camera attached to her shirt,” a police spokesperson said.
“Officers were notified and went to the casino, where they arrested the woman and her 44-year-old husband.”
Investigators allege the couple had “a mobile phone with a small, magnetic probe, battery, and a fitted attachment that allowed the phone’s camera function to discreetly view, capture, or record images”.
The officers also seized a small custom-made mirror attachment for mobile phones, police alleged.
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Police alleged that the couple had traveled to Sydney from Kazakhstan in October 2025. He had applied for Crown membership the very next day.
Police alleged that during October and November, the pair visited the casino several times and won a total of $1.18 million, raising suspicions on the Crown.
“While photographing the tables with their mobile phones, the pair communicated using a deep-seated earpiece, through which they received instructions to place bets on various card games and ultimately defraud the casino,” NSW Police alleged on Sunday.
Officers searched the couple’s residence on Kent Street in Sydney, where they allegedly found other gambling paraphernalia, expensive jewelery and €2,000.
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The couple appeared in the local bail court on Friday. No one applied for bail and it was formally refused.
Dilnozha Izrailova was due back in court in February. Her husband, Alisherikhozha Israilov, was scheduled to appear in Downing Center Local Court on 11 December.
Organized Crime Squad Commander, Det Superintendent Peter Fox, said the police and the casino worked together to detect and stop criminal activity.
“Our detectives work closely with casino security to identify and disrupt illegal behavior,” Fox said. “This strong collaboration is critical to maintaining the integrity of gaming operations and is reflected in results like these.”
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