Online betting racket busted, 29 arrested in UP's Gorakhpur

Gorakhpur (UP), Jan 22 (PTI) Police here busted an online betting racket operating from an upscale apartment complex, officials said on Wednesday.

Gemini Paradise apartment near the Medical College Road Acting on a tip-off from Mau Police, a raid led to the arrest of 29 individuals, including minors, on Sunday, they said.

The gang had allegedly been running fraudulent online gaming portals from four rented flats in the complex for the past six months, they said.

During the raid, police seized 10 laptops, 100 smartphones, and 150 SIM cards. The suspects, most of whom hail from Bihar and Chhattisgarh, were reportedly employed on monthly salaries ranging from Rs 18,000 to Rs 22,000 and worked in eight-hour shifts to ensure uninterrupted operations.

The racket came to light after the Ministry of Finance's Financial Intelligence Unit flagged suspicious transactions amounting to Rs 34 lakh in a Mau resident’s account allegedly operated by Arvind, a native of Bhilai, police said.

He was the one allegedly operating the racket from the complex. Arvind had also rented three other flats in Gemini Paradise apartment.

Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Abhinav Tyagi confirmed the recovery of electronic devices allegedly used for online betting and fraud.

Mau Police have taken the accused into custody for further investigation.

Residents of the complex expressed shock, stating they were unaware of the illegal activities, despite noticing unusual late-night movements in the apartment. PTI COR ABN ABN MNK MNK

Source: PTI