J LAKSHMANA RAO
VISAKHAPATNAM
The ICC Cricket World Cup is getting everyone excited in Visakhapatnam, which might possibly lead to more people betting on the games. Some people even bet on almost every ball bowled in the matches. To deal with this, the police in the city are focussing on finding groups of people who are involved in cricket betting. They recently came across an incident involving 11 people from Anakapalli and Visakhapatnam, which raised concerns.
After this incident, the police noticed that more people are betting on cricket online, even in rural areas. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) K Srinivasa Rao warned that while bookies might promise more money, they could end up causing people to lose a lot of money. He also said that bookies can manipulate the betting systems, making it even riskier for people who bet.
Srinivasa Rao said that, following instructions from Police Commissioner Ravi Shankar, they are keeping an eye on the betting bookies in the city all the time. He asked the public not to get involved in such activities that could ruin them financially. He encouraged anyone who has been affected by these betting groups to come forward and work with the police to stop them from using illegally earned money.
Visakhapatnam has a history of dealing with groups of people involved in betting from different districts. These groups usually stay in rented houses and apartments and have connections with bookmakers from all over the country. In June of this year, the city police broke up an online gaming and betting operation and arrested 19 people. This operation was run from a house that pretended to be an online grocery business in Madhurawada. The police managed to freeze Rs 5 crore in this case. In September of last year, the police caught a group operating along Beach Road and froze nearly Rs 70 lakh. Also, in May 2022, the police arrested a gang in Duvvada involved in betting activities related to the Indian Premier League.
