Nagpur city police have dismantled a nationwide scheme facilitating illegal betting through mule accounts. The recent operation in Coimbatore resulted in the arrest of seven individuals, including three nationals from Nepal. To date, authorities have apprehended a total of 15 suspects during raids conducted in Nagpur, Goa, and Tamil Nadu. This crackdown highlights the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces in combating illegal online gambling activities, which have surged in recent years, impacting communities across the country.
Police seized four laptops, 32 mobile phones, 15 cheque books, 25 passbooks and 18 ATM cards. Investigators have identified S Vignesh alias Vicky (35), a resident of Devadhanapatti in Tamil Nadu, as the alleged kingpin of the operation. Investigators alleged the duo paid individuals Rs10,000 in exchange for identity documents and bank account details, which were then used to create mule accounts for illegal financial transactions. Police recovered details of nearly 200 bank accounts during the operation. A raid in Goa later that month resulted in the arrest of four persons and the seizure of 22 mobile phones, two laptops, ATM cards and bank passbooks. Two more suspects were arrested, and a laptop, 12 mobile phones and several SIM cards were seized.
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Police said further arrests are likely as they continue tracing the money trail and investigating the foreign handlers behind the banned betting applications. As per investigators, the network facilitated transactions linked to illegal cricket, football and card-gaming betting platforms operated from China, Dubai and Nepal. Police believe the syndicate had a presence in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Mumbai, Pune and Jalgaon, while recent findings point to cross-border links in Nepal. The latest breakthrough came when a team led by sub-inspectors Dilip Pawar and Swapnil Raut under senior inspector Pankaj Bondse raided a lavish four-bedroom villa in Coimbatore. Teams from Hingna and Wadi police stations also participated in the operation. Besides the three Nepal nationals, police nabbed two residents of Madhya Pradesh, one from Rajasthan and one from Nagpur. The probe began in mid-August after Hingna police constable Anand Wankhede received a tip-off and alerted zonal DCP Rishikesh Singareddy. Police raided a flat in Khamla and arrested Santosh Chetnani and Vicky Gaikwad. The accused are currently in judicial custody. Subsequent leads took police to a luxury villa in Goa allegedly linked to Sanjay Gangwani, an Amravati native now settled there. Both accused were later remanded to Nagpur Central Jail. Download the TOI App.