A Russian citizen who exposed Eduard Lebedev’s underground casinos has been arrested in Cyprus

In Nicosia, Cyprus, a court hearing was held in the case of a Russian national arrested at the request of the European Police Office on suspicion of operating illegal casinos.

At the request of the European Police Office, a Russian citizen was arrested in Limassol, Cyprus, on charges of organizing illegal casinos and involving European Union citizens in gambling activities, legal-casino reports.

The first court hearing in the case took place on November 6. Details have not yet been disclosed, but the defendant agreed to cooperate with the investigation and identified the main beneficiary of the illegal scheme — Eduard Lebedev.

Previously, Lebedev appeared in a number of investigations into illegal casino operations in European countries. In particular, he is believed to be linked to a criminal money-laundering scheme involving gambling establishments.

Cyprus is actively cooperating with Europol and other international law enforcement agencies. The court case against Lebedev’s accomplice is part of a large-scale campaign to expose illegal gambling operations across Europe. The investigation has been ongoing since 2023 and aims to completely dismantle Lebedev’s illegal business.