Online cricket betting racket busted

They accepted bets from known punters including businessmen and realtors on commission online. All the financial transactions were made digitally only.

Hyderabad: The Madhapur Special Operations Team along with the local police busted an international online cricket betting racket being operated from an apartment in Miyapur and arrested four persons on Tuesday night.

Police seized computers, Rs 43.50 lakh in cash, and other material from them. The arrested persons bookies were identified as A Trinadh (34) from Miyapur, M Rajesh (33) from Kapra, B Swamy (30) from ECIL and M Ganapathi Rao (57) from Miyapur.

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The kingpin identified as S Venkateshwar Rao, a resident of London, and native of Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, was absconding. Police said Venkateshwar Rao, was organising cricket betting through cricket betting apps for the ongoing IPL-2024 with the help of the other suspects as bookies on his behalf.

They accepted bets from known punters including businessmen and realtors on commission online. All the financial transactions were made digitally only.

Following a tip-off, the apartment located in a plush residential colony was raided and the suspects were taken into custody. Efforts were on to nab the prime suspect Venkateshwar Rao in the case, officials said.