Andhra police bust IPL betting racket in Nellore dist, 12 held

Nellore police busted an organized online IPL betting syndicate, arresting 12 individuals, including kingpin Shaik Fariyaz. Operating via the Radhe Exchange platform, the racket funneled over Rs 37 lakh through 28 bank accounts. Authorities seized cash and mobile devices

Nellore: An organised online cricket betting racket was busted with the arrest of 12 people in Nellore district, police said on Wednesday.

The accused were identified as part of a 14-member syndicate, including main organiser Shaik Fariyaz and associate Konduru Vasu, while two others are absconding, they said.

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“We have busted an organised IPL cricket betting racket operating through online platforms and arrested 12 persons. The remaining two are absconding and efforts are on to trace them,” Nellore district Superintendent of Police (SP) Ajitha Vejendla said.

According to the SP, the racket was unearthed on April 19 following surveillance on habitual offenders and lodge inspections, leading to a raid at a private hotel in Magunta Layout under Dargamitta police station limits.

Vejendla said the accused were operating betting activities through the Radhe Exchange platform (www.r777.us) using admin access ( admin.radheexch.com), with deposit instructions routed via WhatsApp from an international number.

During the operation, police seized cash amounting to over Rs 2 lakh, 13 mobile phones, and one television from the accused, with devices sent for forensic analysis, said the SP.

Investigations revealed that the syndicate operated through 28 bank accounts across multiple accused and linked enterprises, including three accounts under Radhe-linked entities in Axis Bank, RBL Bank, and HDFC Bank, all of which have been frozen, she said.

Vejendla said the racketeers used nine banks for transactions along with 14 PhonePe numbers for fund transfers.

Financial analysis showed that 72 transactions worth over Rs 37 lakh were carried out between April 2025 and April 2026, including debits of around Rs 29.8 lakh and credits of nearly Rs 7.2 lakh.

The SP said Fariyaz acted as the main administrator, creating betting logins and redistributing funds to personal, associate and enterprise accounts, while Sivagiri Ravi Kumar functioned as accountant managing banking channels.

So far, 12 accused have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by a local court, while efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining two accused persons.

Meanwhile, police registered a case under sections 318(4), 112(2) and 61(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Sections 3 and 4 of the Andhra Pradesh Gaming Act, and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.

The SP cautioned youth against engaging in online betting activities, stating such involvement could ruin their lives.

Police said strict surveillance on IPL betting activities is continuing as part of intensified enforcement measures across the district.