With the arrest of 23 persons, all bookies, and seizure of 247 mobile phones and 28 smartphones, Cyberabad police claim to have busted an organised online cricket betting racket operating from the city.
Acting on a tip-off about betting for the ongoing IPL cricket matches, the Special Operations Teams raided seven places at Miyapur, Bachupally, Gachibowli and Mailardevpally and apprehended the accused on Tuesday evening.
They also seized ₹93 lakh in cash, 14 betting boards, eight laptops, four tabs, four TVs, two routers, a printer and five four-wheelers from the possession of the bookies.
The accused are Chintha Venu from Miyapur, Vaduvu Ajay Kumar from Gachibowli, Jella Suresh (33) from West Godhavari, Kunappareddy Durga Pavan Kumar from Vijayawada, Thirumani Mani Kanta from West Godhavari, apart from other accused persons.
Police said that the cricket betting racket happens in four layers - the first comprises of a main bookie, another layer a sub bookie, the third layer has a bookie, and the fourth includes punters.
“Each layer is specific in terms of turn on stakes, commission to bookie the price of the line he can lease out to,” Commissioner of Police Stephen Raveendra said.
He said that the main bookie Maha from Vijayawada was organising the online cricket betting in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
