Eswatini arrests 50 more foreign nationals in widening online gambling and fraud probe

Eswatini’s authorities have detained 50 additional foreign nationals as part of an expanding investigation into a suspected international online gambling and fraud network operating in Mbabane and nearby areas.

The Royal Eswatini Police Service, working with the Ministry of Home Affairs, has arrested 50 more foreign nationals in the latest phase of a widening crackdown on suspected illegal online gambling and fraud operations. Sector and local reporting say the new arrests were linked to sites in Mbabane, including Madlenya House, and form part of a broader probe into a cross-border network active in the capital and surrounding areas.

The latest sweep builds on an investigation that began on March 11 at Castle Hotel in Mbabane, where 85 foreign nationals were initially detained. Since then, police have expanded the operation to other locations, including Hawane, Woodlands, Ezulwini and additional properties along the Mbabane corridor, as investigators try to map the full structure of the alleged network.

According to Focus Gaming News, investigators believe several of the premises were being used as organized digital workspaces where suspects managed online betting activity without regulatory approval. During the most recent raids, police reportedly seized electronic devices and documents for forensic analysis in an effort to establish the scale of the operation and trace its financial flows.

The case is also drawing attention because of its international dimension. Reports indicate that many of those arrested are Chinese nationals, while others come from countries including Brazil, Indonesia, Taiwan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, India and Malaysia. Local reporting has also said authorities are examining possible immigration violations and whether some of the suspects entered Eswatini without valid visas or work permits.

For Eswatini’s gambling sector, the significance of the latest arrests lies in the scale and persistence of the operation. What first appeared to be a single-site enforcement action is now looking more like a multi-location crackdown on a network that combined suspected illegal gambling activity with broader fraud concerns. If that assessment holds, the case could push authorities toward tighter oversight not only of gambling compliance, but also of digital workspaces, foreign staffing and cross-border financial controls. This final point is an inference based on the breadth of the raids and the way authorities and local media are describing the investigation.