The Local Crime Branch (LCB) of the Raigad police has busted a gang of 11 bookies who placed bets on matches in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), which kicked off on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
On October 1, acting on a tip-off, police inspector Jamil Shaikh from the LCB raided a room in 007 Universe Resort at Khandpe in Karjat. The police found Kanti Karamsibhai Varsungiya (43), a resident of Kopri in Thane, and Prakash Popat Pujari (42), a resident of Mulund, placing bets on a match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians. The police seized five mobile phones.
During interrogation, the accused revealed that they used various mobile applications to place bets. They divulged the details of 20 mobile IDs, of which four were used for betting. The SIM card used by the accused was also registered in the name of someone else, the police said. “During the course of our investigations, we found that their modus operandi involved the main bookie creating 10 IDs using a super mastercard and distributing them to 10 other bookies. These bookies then use their mastercards to create 10 other IDs, which are given to gamblers, mostly based in UAE. The 10 bookies finalise the betting amount and then pass the information to the main bookie. Every Monday, they would calculate the loss and profit margin. Each mastercard had a limit on the money that could be spent based on the game and the bookie,” Mr. Shaikh said.
The police then went on to arrest nine more bookies from Mumbai and Thane. “The main bookie is yet to be arrested. More than five bookies are wanted and based in Gujarat, Bengaluru and Dubai. Two teams have been sent to Bengaluru and Gujarat to trace them,” Additional Superintendent of Police Sachin Gunjal said.
The accused have been arrested on charges of cheating and forgery under sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Maharashtra Prevention of Gambling Act, the Indian Telegraph Act and the IT Act. The accused have been remanded in police custody till Sunday.