American Federal agents have arrested the founding shareholders of Neteller. Neteller is one of the largest financial companies that transfer money between online casinos and players accounts.

Two of Neteller's former directors, were taken into custody in the United States recently, the two were not traveling together at the time of their arrests.

The company has called for a freeze on its shares before it announced what has happened to two of its shareholders.

The online payment group has said that neither of the 2 men arrested in the USA holds any position at all in the company other then shareholder.

Shares in the company based in the Isle on Man have plummeted 60% since the start of the American crackdown on illegal online gambling.

According to a Neteller spokesman the company has not received any calls regarding this or any related matter, and said "Pending clarification of the situation the board has sought immediate temporary suspension of Neteller shares."

Most of the online casinos and gambling companies have pulled their games from the American market after President George W Bush signed a bill into law in October making it illegal for banks to transfer money between player%u2019s accounts and the accounts of the online casinos.