Six persons from different states have been arrested for allegedly running an online betting racket linked to Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in North Goa, police said on Thursday, reported the PTI.
The operation was carried out by the Cyber Crime Police during the night of 15-16 April at a rented premises in Sangolda village. The accused were allegedly caught accepting bets through online applications during ongoing IPL matches.
Use of apps and devices
Police said the group used mobile applications such as “MG Lion” and “Kabook 1” to conduct betting activities. Multiple mobile phones and digital devices were used to manage and process bets, as per the PTI.
The arrested individuals belong to Gujarat, Rajasthan and West Bengal. They include residents from Surat and Amreli in Gujarat, Udaipur in Rajasthan, and Bardhaman in West Bengal, according to the PTI.
Cash, laptops and ATM cards seized
During the raid, officials seized six laptops, cash amounting to Rs 31,000, around 50 ATM cards, several mule account kits and mobile phones. The total value of the seized items is estimated to be about Rs 10 lakh, the news agency reported.
Use of Fake Identities
According to police, the accused routed betting money through multiple mule accounts and allegedly used fake identities and credentials. This points to suspected identity theft and organised illegal gambling operation, the PTI reported.
The action was conducted under the supervision of Superintendent of Police Raju Raut Desai and led by Inspector Deepak Pednekar.
The accused have been booked under provisions of the Information Technology Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act. Further investigation is underway.
Four held for running IPL betting racket in Latur
Meanwhile, in an another incident, four individuals have been arrested for allegedly operating an IPL cricket betting racket from a moving car in Latur city of Maharashtra, police said on Wednesday, the news agency reported.
It said that the property and cash worth approximately Rs 13.73 lakh has been seized in the matter.
The arrests followed a raid conducted by local crime branch officials in the Ambajogai Road area on Tuesday.
(with PTI inputs)