The Unit for Combating Money Laundering (MOKAS) has forwarded 16 cases of suspicious gambling activities at casinos in the Republic of Cyprus to police, according to confidential documents seen by Phileleftheros.
These referrals, evenly split between 2023 and 2024 with eight cases each year, stem from reports submitted by the casino management company itself following due diligence checks that raised concerns about certain players.
Of the 16 cases forwarded to authorities, one investigation has been completed, resulting in measures being taken against the individual, though it remains unclear whether criminal charges were filed. Two additional cases are currently under criminal investigation as reasonable suspicions of criminal offences have emerged.
Police have incorporated three other casino-related reports into existing investigations, while the remaining 10 cases have been used in investigations concerning wanted individuals or ongoing criminal probes, including cases related to illegal immigration.
The casino management company, Integrated Casino Resorts Cyprus Ltd, has submitted a total of 182 suspicious activity reports to the anti-money laundering unit during this period—101 in 2023 and 81 in 2024.
In 2023, 34 of the 101 reports involved cash transactions, while cash was used in 10 of the 81 cases reported in 2024. The total value of suspicious transactions reported during this two-year period amounts to approximately half a million euros—€260,171 in 2023 and €219,896 in 2024.
The confidential memorandum also includes information about the nationalities of players who triggered suspicions from casino supervisors.
The 34 cash-related reports filed in 2023 involved individuals from Cyprus, Israel, Greece, Syria, Vietnam, China, Georgia, Poland, Korea, and the United Kingdom.
For 2024, the 10 suspicious cash transaction reports were linked to players from Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Vietnam, Lebanon, and Turkey. Notably, the confidential MOKAS correspondence mentions individuals from Turkey, though the exact number is not specified.
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