Ontario’s playing regulator has stated it’ll examine how a convicted fraudster was capable of deposit and withdraw greater than $4 million in money over a number of years at Toronto-area casinos.
Branavan Kanapathipilla, above, gambled thousands and thousands via Ontario casinos. Authorities seized his $100K buy-in from the Fallsview On line casino. (Picture: OPP)
Branavan Kanapathipilla has a felony historical past involving convictions for fraud and different crimes that stretches again 20 years, in accordance with an affidavit by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
The courtroom submitting is a part of an effort by authorities to grab $100K in money deposited by Kanapathipilla final November on the Fallsview On line casino in Niagara Falls.
The deposit was flagged as a suspicious transaction by on line casino employees and seized by the OPP, which has accused Kanapathipilla of working with a mortgage shark.
STR Pile-up
The paperwork reveal that his actions have generated a whole bunch of suspicious transaction reviews (STRs) by casinos and banks over the previous 12 years, totaling $11 million.
One Toronto Gaming, which operates On line casino Woodbine, Pickering On line casino Resort, Nice Blue Heron On line casino and Resort, and On line casino Ajax in Ontario, reported 120 suspicious transactions by Kanapathipilla totaling greater than $3 million in 2021 and 2022 alone.
“Information obtained from a manufacturing order regarding Kanapathipillai’s TD Financial institution accounts point out a historical past of Kanapathipillai depositing a big quantity into his account after which making a number of money withdraws through each the teller and the ATM,” wrote Det. Constable Vic Jetvic within the affidavit. “His withdrawal and monetary transaction patterns had been in step with cash laundering strategies that I’ve noticed as an investigator.”
Whereas this sample is very in step with cash laundering, Kanapathipilla’s lawyer, James Foy, advised On line casino.org his shopper has not been accused of cash laundering, nor has he been charged by authorities with any crime.
“Mr. Kanapathipillai desires to assist the police. He has been cooperating with their investigation and can proceed to take action within the civil forfeiture course of,” Foy stated in an announcement to On line casino.org. “He’s wanting ahead to his day in courtroom which he absolutely expects will outcome within the return of his lawfully obtained cash.”
Gradual to React
This week, the Anti-Cash Laundering Unit of Ontario’s Alcohol and Gaming Fee (AGCO) stated it will provoke a compliance assessment to evaluate whether or not on line casino operators met their regulatory obligations. However some query whether or not the blame lies with regulators fairly than operators, because the casinos persistently filed STRs consistent with their regulatory obligations.
Retired RCMP cash laundering specialist Garry Clement advised CTV Information that the casinos’ monetary reviews weren’t being acted on quick sufficient.
“These appear fairly apparent,” he stated. “There’s extra to this than simply playing.”
British Columbia has been pressured to handle the issue of widescale cash laundering via its casinos and actual property markets. That’s after the province was accused of turning into a “laundromat for organized crime” in an impartial report commissioned by the provincial authorities.
In 2019, a BC authorities inquiry concluded that on line casino cash laundering was “not only a BC drawback,” and known as for a federal investigation into the difficulty.
An earlier model of this text inaccurately said that Kanapathipilla had “fled” Canada. It has been amended to replicate statements by his lawyer that he stays within the nation and is cooperating with a police investigation whereas difficult civil forfeiture course of.
