Eswatini Police Expand Illegal Online Gambling Case into International Organized Crime Investigation

Eswatini’s Royal Eswatini Police Service has told the High Court that its original illegal online gambling and immigration inquiry has expanded into a wider international fraud and organized crime investigation.

Detective Constable Ntokozo Dlamini of the Organised Crime Unit filed an affidavit citing Telegram and WhatsApp material recovered from seized devices that pointed to alleged links with senior politicians, police officials and immigration officials. More than 400 electronic devices are now under forensic examination with INTERPOL assistance, according to iGaming Business. INTERPOL’s account of Operation First Light 2026 separately lists 240 devices seized and 82 people arrested in the Eswatini component of an effort that intercepted USD 293 million across 97 countries.

From Local Raids to Cross-Border Fraud Network

The matter began with March 2026 raids in Mbabane and Ezulwini that arrested 146 foreign nationals, many from China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Cambodia and Brazil. Officers seized 313 electronic devices in that initial phase. Forensic work later showed the syndicate ran unlicensed online gambling platforms targeting victims in Brazil and India, pooled proceeds, converted them chiefly to USDT cryptocurrency and routed funds through institutions in Abu Dhabi and the United States before returning them to Eswatini.

Investigators also found a fake Brazilian police holding facility at Castle Hotel in Mbabane, complete with uniforms, a bulletproof vest, radios and a badge. Approximately 40 Brazilian citizens were defrauded through impersonation calls that pressured victims to sign false confidentiality agreements and transfer money for supposed safekeeping. In June, 84 of the arrested foreigners received six-month sentences with the option of an E500 ($30) fine after conviction on immigration offences only.

Where the Licensing Risk Lies

National Commissioner of Police Vusi Manoma Masango wrote to the principal secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs on 2 June 2026 urging temporary suspension of new gambling licences pending the investigation outcome. The memorandum, copied to several government bodies, warned that continued issuance “may inadvertently create opportunities for further infiltration by criminal elements whose intentions may undermine the country’s internal security, economic integrity and investor confidence.”

Masango has ruled out political immunity for anyone implicated. Senate Deputy President Ndumiso Mdluli asked Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini to examine whether politicians were renting accommodation to the operators and noted that current penalties allow offenders to pay fines and continue. Eswatini’s Gaming Control Act of 2022 is in force but its implementing regulations remain unfinished, prompting earlier calls to halt licensing until they are tabled.

The forensic report is still pending. What began as a domestic raid now carries direct consequences for how quickly and how strictly the jurisdiction finalizes its gambling oversight before further international exposure occurs.

Reporting: iGaming Business (iGB)

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