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Police in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, have arrested 24 individuals in relation to the online betting scam wherein more than ₹500 crore, or US$52.0 million, in transactions were processed. According to the authorities, the total amount of money related to illegal gains and losses sustained by the public from this case stood at around ₹1,500 crore, or US$156.0 million.
The arrests were made by Visakhapatnam Cybercrime Police, who said the operation had been running across several states and was also linked to Sri Lanka. The case is being treated as part of a wider network that used online platforms, bank accounts and digital payment channels to move funds and conceal the source of the money.
Operation Across States
The illegal betting syndicate was operating in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, and Sri Lanka. At least 7 websites for online betting were being used in the scheme, the police revealed. The case involved a structured system that relied on call centre coordination, sub-bookies and digital operators.
Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner Shankha Brata Bagchi said the group operated through an organised setup rather than isolated individuals. The alleged structure allowed the betting activity to spread across multiple locations while using digital systems to handle the transactions.
The case highlights the scale of the operation as described by the police. The alleged turnover, the number of jurisdictions involved and the range of payment channels all point to a network that had been built to function across state lines and beyond India.
Kingpin Arrested In Kolkata
Police said the alleged kingpin, Karan Pakhrani, also known as “Gabbar”, was arrested in Kolkata together with 6 associates. Investigators alleged that he oversaw platform management and played a central role in the operation.
During the raids, police recovered mobile phones, bank passbooks, laptops, and currency counting machines. The mentioned items are set to be part of the investigation conducted into the functioning of the betting syndicate and the methods of money movement.
With the arrest of the suspected syndicate boss in Kolkata, the case takes yet another turn, with police saying that this was part of their investigations into the use of banking services fraudulently, citing online gaming activities.
Money Trail Under Scrutiny
According to police, around 224 mule bank accounts were used to route betting proceeds through multiple layers of UPI and bank transfers. Authorities said the process was designed to conceal the source of the funds and make it harder to trace the money back to the operation.
The investigation began after complaints about the misuse of bank accounts linked to online gaming activity. Police said the complaint trail helped uncover the broader betting network and the methods used to shift money through various accounts.
More investigations are being done regarding the finances, other beneficiaries involved, and the network of the various sub-bookers as well. The case is still pending as the investigations are still ongoing, and police have been looking for other persons associated with the entire illegal operation.
Probe Continues
The arrests in Visakhapatnam have been a very crucial point in the entire case, but the investigations are yet to reach an end. With the use of over 200 mule accounts and a network spread over different states, the investigators have just started piecing together the entire structure and those who were benefiting from the whole operation.
The next phase of the investigation is to understand the entire financial chain and the people involved in it.
Source: Focus Gaming News
