In a significant crackdown on illegal betting, the police have apprehended four alleged bookies involved in online betting during the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. The authorities have seized transaction records amounting to approximately Rs 1.5 crore.
The operation, which took place following a tip-off, uncovered ties to cryptocurrency dealings worth nearly Rs 4 lakh. Three laptops and 17 mobile phones were seized from the accused, who were caught in the act of managing the illicit betting activities. The arrests were made in the Babina area, as confirmed by Superintendent of Police (City) Preeti Singh.
The arrestees have been identified as Santosh Shrivas, Sachin Yadav, Umesh Gupta, and Ashish Agrawal. The accused revealed their long-term involvement in betting and identified Prem Narayan as their contact, operating under a commission basis. The police have registered a case against the arrested individuals and launched a search for key figures, including Prem Narayan and two others.
(With inputs from agencies.)