Hyderabad: In a major crackdown on gambling and betting, the Cyberabad Police on Wednesday busted multiple cricket betting rackets and nabbed 23 persons.
The police seized Rs.93 lakh, eight laptops and 275 mobile phones apart from tabs, computers, television sets and five cars, all together valued at Rs.2.21 crore.
Cyberabad Commissioner M. Stephen Raveendra said the Cyberabad Police Special Operations Team, acting on a tip off, had caught seven gangs organizing cricket betting in Cyberabad. The gangs were organizing the betting on the ongoing IPL matches. The raids were conducted at seven places in Shamshabad, Bachupally, Gachibowli and Miyapur.
“The gangs were operating the betting racket in an organized manner by luring bookies, sub-bookies and punters. The main organizers are from Vijayawada,” he said.
The organizers were attracting people offering quick money and were organizing cricket betting through online mode with the help of mobile phone applications.
“The main organizer Suresh alias Maha of Vijaywada is the kingpin organizing the betting racket with the help of his associates Suresh, Chintha Venu, G Venkatesh and others. All the main bookies are coordinating with sub bookies operating from different locations,” the Commissioner said, adding that it was found that the network was operating across the country and also in the United Arab Emirates, particularly Dubai.
The police will write to Google to remove the betting applications Play Store and also to banks to freeze some bank accounts,said the Commissioner.
