On September 13, 2025, the Parcelles-Assainies district police station, Unit 15, arrested an individual involved in a burglary followed by the theft of funds. The case attracted particular attention due to the amount involved and, above all, its use for online gambling.

It all started with a complaint filed by a shopkeeper in Cambérène 1. When he went to his store on September 3, he discovered that the premises had been broken into during the night. The perpetrator had taken a Samsung phone used by the shopkeeper for financial transactions.

A few days later, the latter returned to the police station to report an even more serious situation: using the stolen phone, the thief had accessed his Wave account linked to his bank account and made several withdrawals. The total damage is estimated at around 7 million CFA francs.

Investigators quickly tracked the suspect through requests sent to the mobile money operator, analysis of the withdrawal points used, and the use of surveillance cameras. The suspect was finally identified and arrested.

In front of the police, he confessed to having entered the store after cutting open the door, but he also explained what he had done with the stolen money. He bet everything on the online gaming platform Xbet.

According to his explanations, he became addicted to online betting since 2023, the year he won the astronomical sum of 239 million CFA francs, which he subsequently lost in the gambling spiral.

He also admitted to using fake identities to circumvent verification systems during his transactions. Analysis of his phone confirmed his confession.

Placed in police custody, he will be brought before the public prosecutor at the end of the investigation.