Eswatini gambling probe uncovers alleged links to politicians and police
The findings, contained in a police affidavit filed before the High Court, mark a significant escalation in one of Eswatini’s largest illegal gambling investigations.
Eswatini.- Eswatini’s investigation into an alleged illegal online gambling syndicate has expanded after forensic analysis of hundreds of seized electronic devices uncovered suspected links to senior politicians, police officers and immigration officials.
Court documents filed before the High Court show that investigators from the Royal Eswatini Police Service, supported by INTERPOL forensic experts and international law enforcement agencies, examined more than 400 electronic devices seized during raids earlier this year.
The devices, including mobile phones, laptops, desktop computers and tablets, were recovered from several locations, among them the Castle Hotel in Mbabane, which authorities allege served as one of the syndicate’s operational centres.
According to Times of Eswatini, in an affidavit filed before the court, detective Constable Ntokozo Dlamini of the Royal Eswatini Police Service’s Organised Crime Unit, part of the Multi-Agency Task Team investigating the case, said the forensic analysis of the devices uncovered WhatsApp and Telegram conversations involving individuals in senior government, law enforcement and immigration positions. The findings have prompted authorities to expand the investigation beyond illegal gambling offences as they examine the alleged involvement of additional individuals connected to the operation.
The investigation initially centred on foreign nationals accused of operating unlicensed online gambling platforms from properties in Mbabane and Ezulwini. During the raids, police arrested hundreds of foreign nationals and seized computers, servers, mobile devices, cash-counting machines and other equipment allegedly used in the operation.
Court documents identify Tao Lyu as the alleged leader of the syndicate, which authorities say combined illegal online gambling with fraud schemes targeting victims in countries including Brazil and India.
Police said customer support agents used scripted conversations to delay withdrawals and obtain customers’ financial information.
Investigators further added that the syndicate operated under a corporate-style structure, with supervisors overseeing payment processing, customer support and gambling operations. Internal records recovered from the seized devices, including disciplinary notices, dismissal records and management communications, are cited in the court filings as evidence that the network functioned as a coordinated international criminal enterprise.
The findings mark the latest development in one of Eswatini’s largest illegal gambling investigations, with authorities continuing to examine the recovered evidence and its suspected links to public officials.
