Cyberabad police nabs online cricket betting gang, seizes money

Hyderabad, April 8: Cyberabad police have busted an online cricket betting gang and seized over Rs 37.84 lakh from them.

Acting on a tip-off, the Special Operation Team, Rajendranagar and RC Puram police station jointly nabbed the gang of bookies and punters.

They arrested Mogiligidda Ramakrishna Goud and Mogiligidda Upender Goud from the Ramachandrapuram area and interrogated them to find that they were running online cricket betting through known punters through the app NICE7777.

According to police, the two brothers were organising online cricket betting through the website nice7777.Pro on ongoing IPL 2024 matches by approaching known punters and involving in betting and collecting amounts through UPI/cash for every match.

Both had organised betting on IPL 2024 matches held on April 7 (1- MI Vs DC at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, 2 - LSG Vs GT at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow).

Deputy Commissioner of Police G. Vineeth said Rs 18.50 lakh cash was seized.

Police also seized Rs 18.34 lakh available in different bank accounts received from punters.

All the bank accounts used for online betting have been frozen. Four smartphones worth Rs 1 lakh were also seized.

A case under Sections 3 and 4 of the TS Gaming Act was registered at RC Puram Police Station. A total of 42 punters participated in the betting after the app on their mobile phones was checked.

The main accused is Ramakrishna Goud, 30, who was acting as a bookie. His brother Upender Goud, 40, was a sub-bookie. Two punters Thalari Srinivas of Vikarabad district of Telangana and Bandi Vinay Kumar, a native of West Godavari of Andhra Pradesh, have also been arrested.

Three punters are absconding. They are Anji of Chandanagar, Chandram of Patancheruvu, and Dora of Kukatpally.