MillenniumPost
Delhi

Over 9,000 punters arrested in 2,500 gambling cases in 3 yrs

New Delhi: Gambling, as an easy and illegal means to earn quick money, reaches a fever pitch during the popular Indian Premier League season.
Many a times, however, luck runs out for people involved in this game of luck, as cops nabbed punters involved in gambling over IPL games sooner or later.
In the last three years, Delhi Police have registered more than 2,500 cases under the Gambling Act and arrested over 9,000 people involved in the crime.
However, with time, the methods of gambling has undergone several changes.
Earlier, playing cards categorised as king or queen were used as betting tools by punters across the Capital.
Now, with advancement in technology, racketeers have started using smartphones and/or computers to conduct this illegal business. Many accused use codes and betting softwares to keep track of various bets.
Delhi Police data accessed by Millennium Post states that in 2016, around 1,098 cases were registered, whereas last year, 1,273 cases were registered.
This year, till March 31, the city witnessed more than 300 cases of gambling.
The number of arrests, meanwhile, has increased with time. In 2016, as many as 3,872 persons were nabbed, while 5,398 accused were nabbed in 2017. More than 1,000 persons have been arrested for gambling so far this year.
The arrested persons include criminals involved in playing cards and betting for any other game.
Delhi Police investigators have stated that betting on card games is fast becoming an old trend in the world of organised betting, and fast being replaced by digital codes.
For instance, alphabets are used as codes to keep note of the money trail, as well as the bets placed by the accused.
On Saturday, Shahdara district police has busted a gambling racket and arrested three gamblers.
The accused had planned their activities meticulously, and kept a betting assistant software, so as to easily keep tabs on the money trail of their clients.
They also did not keep the money in their possession, thereby easily dodging police if and when they were caught. However, cops were able to read their modus operandi.
During the raids in 2016, police recovered Rs 1.84 crore, while in 2017, around Rs 3.27 crore was recovered. This year, till March, Rs 49.69 lakh rupees has been recovered.
It was in May 2017, when the Farsh Bazaar police station team busted an organised racket of betting on IPL matches and recovered six master phones, through which the accused used to keep in touch with bookies to know the rates of each match.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Nupur Prasad said several raids were conducted to crack down on betting in the district and many accused were arrested.
Recently, 50 gamblers were arrested in Shahdara within a week and Rs 58,100, along with some playing articles, were recovered from their possession. A total 11 betting cases have been registered at various police stations in Shahdara.
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