Navi Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch Unit-1 arrested three individuals on Wednesday night for allegedly running an online betting racket on IPL matches from a flat in Sanpada, Sector 14.
The arrested suspects have been identified as Shankar Kothekar (35), Sandeep Devgade (35), and Bharat Rude (20). They were caught accepting bets through a mobile application.
During the raid at Akhurath Co-op Housing Society, police seized 11 mobile phones, one tablet, one laptop, 11 SIM cards, and other related items. The trio was reportedly operating in coordination with six other individuals, who are currently absconding. A search operation is underway to locate them, said Senior Police Inspector Niraj Chaudhary, in charge of Crime Branch Unit-1.
The raid was conducted around 9:30 pm following a tip-off received by the Crime Branch. Inspector Chaudhary led the operation, during which the suspects were caught taking bets online.
A case has been registered against all nine individuals under the Gambling Act and the IT Act at Sanpada Police Station. “While the three arrested bookies are in police custody, efforts are ongoing to track down the remaining suspects,” Inspector Chaudhary added.
