Baku: Operational measures carried out by the Main Department for Combating Cybercrime (MDCC) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) to detain members of an organized group involved in organizing foreign-operated online gambling using internet information resources and committing related illegal acts have been completed, the MIA's press service told APA.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the head of the criminal group, Anar Islam oglu Aliyev, known by the alias 'Anar007', was detained during operations conducted by the cyber police jointly with local law enforcement agencies in Georgia and subsequently brought to Azerbaijan. Aliyev was wanted for orchestrating illegal gambling operations under the 'Martin' casino and other names linked to the 'chc.play' platform.
Investigations revealed that Anar Aliyev had created an organized group, recruiting Azerbaijani citizens to partake in illegal betting and casino games he ran across foreign countries. These individuals were accommodated in rented houses in Tbilisi and other cities, where they engaged in online casino and gambling activities.
As part of the operations, additional members of Anar Aliyev's group, including Ashraf Hasanzade, Seymur Nurullayev, Etibar Sultanov, Rashad Rzazade, Shargin Aliyev, and Anar Suraj oglu Aliyev, were also detained and brought into the investigation. On the instructions of the group leader, these individuals provided him with local mobile operator numbers, bank cards, and other technical equipment essential for the operation of online casino games.
The detained individuals were involved in cashing out funds obtained from these online casino games and transferred them as cryptocurrency to accounts owned by Anar Aliyev. The investigation confirmed that a portion of the illegally gained funds had been laundered through the purchase of movable and immovable property.
During the detention, numerous electronic data carriers, bank cards, and other items were seized from the group members as material evidence. The individuals were charged at the Main Department and held criminally liable. By court decision, Anar Aliyev and Sh. Aliyev were remanded in custody. Operational and investigative measures continue regarding other individuals involved in the illegal activities.
The MIA has once again urged citizens to refrain from participating in illegal casino and gambling activities, highlighting that both organizing and participating in such games entail legal consequences.