T20 World Cup 2024: Hyderabad police bust cricket betting ring, seize Rs. 25.55 lakh

HYDERABAD: The sleuths of the Commissioner’s Task Force Central Zone team busted an organized cricket betting racket and apprehended two individuals within the jurisdiction of IS Sadan police station on Sunday.

Acting on credible information, the Commissioner’s Task Force, Central Zone Team, busted an organised cricket betting operation and apprehended two suspects: Mohd Abdul Sohail (main m bookie) and Md Farhatullah (collection agent) at Maruthi Nagar, under the jurisdiction of IS Sadan Police Station.

These individuals were engaged in illegal activities by organising and accepting bets from punters for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 match between India and South Africa, aiming to profit from the game of chance. The police seized a total betting amount of Rs. 25,55,000, along with a laptop and three cell phones.

The accused were identified as Mohd Abdul Sohail (28), a businessman residing in Sri Nagar Colony, Hyderabad (Main Bookie), and Md Farhatullah (55), a businessman residing in Maruthi Nagar, IS Sadan, Hyderabad (Collection Agent).

Mohd Abdul Sohail, who resides in Srinagar Colony, has a history of betting on cricket matches. He became aware of the online cricket betting system and, through acquaintances, acquired betting app IDs and passwords, which he installed on his laptop to facilitate illegal betting operations.

He recruited Md Farhatullah as a collection agent for betting amounts. Together, they maintained contacts with approximately 20 to 25 punters who regularly placed bets on live cricket matches, sending money via cash or online platforms such as Google Pay and PhonePe. Occasionally, Md Farhatullah directly collected betting amounts from punters.

On the evening of June 29, 2024, the accused set up their betting operation in Maruthi Nagar, IS Sadan, accepting bets for the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 match between India and South Africa at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown. Acting on a tip-off, the Task Force Central Zone team apprehended them and seized the aforementioned materials from their possession.

The apprehended suspects, along with the seized materials, were handed over to the SHO of IS Sadan police station for necessary legal action.

The operation was conducted under the supervision of YVS Sudheendra, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Task Force, Hyderabad, with N. Ramakrishna, Inspector of Police, and Sub-Inspectors Naveen Kumar & D. Srikanth Goud, along with the staff of Central Zone Task Force, Hyderabad.