A married couple from Kazakhstan has been charged after allegedly winning more than £1.18 million from Sydney's Crown casino using a hidden camera and earpieces. Dilnoza Israilova, 36, and Alisherykhoja Israilov, 44, were arrested at the Barangaroo casino on Thursday and charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
Police allege the woman was observed by casino staff wearing a small camera attached to her Mickey Mouse T-shirt. The couple are said to have used the camera to capture images of card tables, communicating via deep-seated earpieces to receive instructions on wagers. Officers seized small magnetised probes, batteries, a mobile phone with a fitted attachment, and a custom-made mirror attachment.
The couple arrived in Sydney from Kazakhstan in October 2025 and applied for Crown memberships on the same day. Over October and November, they visited the casino multiple times, winning a total of £1.18m, which raised suspicions. A search of their accommodation uncovered other gambling props, high-end jewellery, and €2,000.
The couple appeared in bail court on Friday; neither applied for bail, and it was formally refused. Dilnoza Israilova is due back in court in February, while her husband is scheduled to appear on 11 December. Detective Superintendent Peter Faux of the organised crime squad praised cooperation between police and casino security in detecting the alleged cheating.
