ANANTAPUR : The police arrested six matka organisers, including an inter-state offender, at a petrol filling station in Tadipatri road and seized `20 lakh cash and 4 kg ganja from them. Addressing a press conference here on Friday, SP GVG Ashok Kumar said that on a tip- off the police team conducted a raid and arrested the matka organisers, including interstate organiser Vinayak Metrani, and seized `20,25,010 cash, 4 kg of ganja, a Maruti car, three mobile phones and other material used to organise matka.
The SP said that the arrested persons were organising matka making Hubli-Dharwad in Karnataka as their centres. The kingpin Vinayak Metrani was operating the matka racket through the five arrested accomplices. They organised matka in Anantapur, Gooty and Dhone in Kurnool district. The modus operandi of the gang is that they target gullible people and lure them into matka by telling that they could win huge money in gambling. Interestingly, they used hawala system also to organise the gambling. The arrested included Vinayak Metrani, T Ramesh Goud, G Habib Khan, Jama Basha, P Shabbir Basha and P Shanker. Moreover, the main accused Vinayak Metrani was selling ganja through his accomplices.
The SP congratulated DSP J Venkata Rao, CIs Vijay Bhaskar Goud, MR Krishna Mohan, SIs Hamid Khan, T Madhusudhan Reddy and R Srinivasulu for arresting the gang.The SP said that `50 lakh had been seized from the matka organising gangs during the last one month. He warned of stern action against those who indulge in matka and selling ganja. The two menaces in the district would be curbed with iron hand, the SP said. The SP asked public to inform about matka or ganja selling by dialing 100 or send a message to WhatsApp No 9989819191.