A bookie and his associate were arrested by Prakasam police here on Friday when punters were betting on the result of an ongoing the test cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand at Sharjah.
Producing the accused before the media, Ongole Deputy Superintendent of police G.L. Srinivasa Rao said that 11 cellphones and Rs. 4.5 lakh in cash were seized from the bookie, T.Venkat Rao(40), and his associate D. Ramana Reddy(35), who were nabbed from their den in Vaddipalem in Santhanuthalapadu on the city outskirts.
Explaining the modus operandi of the duo, the DSP said: “The bookie keeps giving rating as the match progresses on the winning and losing chances of the teams. Punters put their stakes through their cellphones and also on the internet through sub-bookies from different locations.”
Investigation was on to nab the sub-bookies involved in the network, he said. According to police, around Rs. four to five lakh change hands during one international cricket match and the bookie gets around two to three per cent of the stakes as commission. However, the bookie denied links with any cricket players, it is learnt
Venkat Rao was into cricket betting since 1980 and had been arrested by the Ongole Taluka police in the past too, the DSP said.
