With the ongoing Asia Cup 2023, bookmakers are now also looking to book some profits through illegal betting on cricket matches. However, Gurdaspur police in Punjab have started an operation against people taking part in illegal betting activities across the city.

The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harish Dayama, on September 11, under the leadership of SHO Karishma raided a house after getting tip-off about betting on a cricket match. Notably, the punters were placing bets on the high-octane clash between India and Pakistan.

“We raided the place and recovered Rs 12.23 lakh, a Mercedes car, 14 mobile phones, one laptop and a tablet. This is the proverbial tip of the iceberg. We have information that in the remaining matches of the Asia Cup, more such bets will be placed. We are sure to come up with a rich haul during the ongoing tournament,” the SHO stated.

The police arrested Manjit Singh during the raid. Manjit has been charged under relevant provision of the Gambling Act and u/s 420 of Indian Penal Code (IPC). Additionally, Gurdaspur police have also registered an FIR against Manjit.

Multiple teams probing against illegal betting activities

Other teams are also working to take similar action against illegal betting activities. The Gurdaspur police initially started this operation during the last IPL season and is continuously putting efforts to stop the illegal activities. However, the issue does not seem to be stopping.

“The high demand for betting and the constant search for new avenues to place bets, whether through online bookmakers or underground networks, contributes to the persistent nature of illegal betting,” an officer said as per Tribune India.

Illegal online betting networks usually span across states, especially during tournaments like Asia Cup. The people operating bets are simply the pawns, and usually do not hold much information on top operators. A prime example is Mahadev Book illegal betting app. Mahadev Book’s masterminds, Saurabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, are said to be operating an illegal betting network from Dubai.