VIJAYAWADA: The Guntur police busted a major cricket betting racket and arrested 52 persons at two different places in Narasaraopet on Friday. The arrested included main bookies, sub-bookies and punters, said Guntur Rural SP Ch V Appala Naidu.
Acting on a tip-off that cricket betting was being organised on the outskirts of Narasaraopet, Rural SP formed two special teams headed by DSP K Nageswara Rao and Rural CI B Prabhakar. In the raid on a house at Magam Pulla Rao Township and another in the town, they nabbed the bookies red-handed.
Presenting the 52 arrested men before the media at his office in Guntur, the SP said that Narasaraopet police had recovered `10.5 lakh, 81 mobile phones, one communicator box with 15 cell phones, two laptops, one computer, one HD set-top box and 6.5 kg ganja from their possession.
The investigation revealed that Moghul Rahim Baig, Sk Mastan Vali, Gujjula Prabhakar Reddy, Syam Ramanjaneya Reddy, Bathula Kalyan Reddy, Sk Abdul Wahab, Udumula Siva Ramireddy and Bhumireddy Koti Reddy were the main bookies and operating betting racket with the help of sub-bookies and referees. Police also stumbled upon some ganja pockets in the house during the raid.
“The cricket bookies rented an independent house on the outskirts of the town to dodge police. They offered sub-bookies incentives to lure more customers,” said Appala Naidu.
When TNIE wanted to know if it was true that the tentacles of the cricket betting gang spread in other cities, the SP agreed and said special teams were sent to Bengaluru and other cities to investigate. “In our investigation, we came to know that the kingpin of the gang was in Bengaluru and operating business with the help of main bookies. We also traced the supplier of communication boxes and will arrest him soon,” the SP told TNIE.
He further added that the cricket bookies were turning punters into ganja addicts to further their activities.
A case under AP Gaming Act, Cheating, and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act -1985 was registered against the 52 arrested.
6.5 kg ganja seized
Guntur Rural SP Appala Naidu said that cricket bookies were turning punters into ganja addicts to further their activities. The Narasaraopet police had seized 6.5 kg ganja from their possession.