In surprising sports betting news, it seems as though Betfair has been used by an individual to launder drug money. It has been reported by many media outlets that the top sports betting company has been used by Horty Mokbel, a convicted drug trafficker, to move millions of dollars in his drug business.

Mokbel allegedly used Betfair and a Melbourne-based business titled Roctel to move millions in drug proceeds. Roctel is a business communication provider and is a company that Mokbel has invested in, with AUD $1 million. With the accounts of partners and executives of the company, Mokbel was able to move AUD $3 million by using Betfair.

Known as the Tracksuit Gang, Mokbel and his brother Tony are part of a bookie system. Individuals bet on jockeys and form close ties with the individuals who run the horses, as well as trainers and bookmakers. The brothers were banned by police in Victoria from every racetrack and Crown Casino as far back as 2004. Despite this fact, other members of the group were not banned, which gave access to the tracks to such individuals as Paul Sequenzia.

According to reports, once Mokbel was released from jail after serving time for drug offences, he got back up with Sequenzia who has been connected to race fixing and drug activity with the horses. Police have come under scrutiny after not banning Sequenzia who has been connected in the past to a cobalt scandal involving a horse and the usage of cobalt.

According to The Age, it was found that John ‘The Ghost’ Calilleri contacted Sequenzia in January via text, referring to him as Swayze. Sequenzia had reportedly placed a bet, winning $25,000 on a horse that Camilleri stated had been dosed with cobalt. Sequenzia is no stranger to cobalt, having been found to own a horse that tested positive to EPT. He has been sanctioned several times by racing authorities for his tactics.

Betfair has yet to comment on the issue of money laundering via their company with Victoria police also not making comment, on the subject of why individuals connected to Mokbel were not banned from race tracks in the area.