Tiny Camera Hidden in Mickey Mouse T-Shirt Leads to Couple’s Arrest Over $787K Casino Win
A couple have been arrested after allegedly using a tiny camera hidden in a Mickey Mouse T-shirt to win over $776,400 in a casino.
Dilnoza Israilova and her husband, Alisherykhoja Israilov, were detained after security at the Barangaroo casino in Sydney, Australia, spotted a tiny camera fixed to her Mickey Mouse T-shirt. The camera device, which staff described as “discreet and difficult to spot”, allegedly streamed live footage from card tables. Dilnoza, 36, and Alisherykhoja, 44, were taken into custody soon afterwards.
New South Wales Police say the pair had travelled to Sydney from Kazakhstan in October and applied for casino membership on the day they arrived. In the weeks that followed, they visited the waterfront venue several times and amassed winnings totalling $776,401.35 (Australian $1,179,412.50). Their winnings raised concerns among casino staff, who say they noticed the concealed camera in the Mickey Mouse T-shirt during Thursday’s visit.
“On Thursday, a 36-year-old woman was observed by casino staff wearing a small, discreet camera attached to her shirt,” a New South Wales Police spokesperson says. “Officers were notified and attended the casino, where they arrested the woman and her 44-year-old husband.”
Police allege the couple had with them “small, magnetized probes, batteries, and a mobile phone with a fitted attachment that allowed the camera function of the phone to discreetly view, capture, or record images”. Officers also say they seized a custom-made mirror attachment designed for the phone.
“With their mobile phones capturing images of the table, the pair communicated using deep-seated earpieces through which they received instructions to wager on various card games and ultimately cheat the casino,” a New South Wales Police spokesperson adds.
The incident comes after PetaPixel reported on how poker players are allegedly using tiny hidden cameras to cheat in high-stakes games. Recent investigations have uncovered a sophisticated cheating method in high-stakes poker games, which involves the use of miniature hidden cameras to spot dealt cards. Poker experts have noticed a pattern where players consistently achieving winning results far beyond their skill level often have small, unassuming objects on the table — such as a medication bottle, a battery charger, or an everyday smartphone in its case.
Image credits: All photos via New South Wales Police.
