Income Tax officials have stumbled upon one of the biggest cricket betting rackets in recent times using high-end gadgets, including indigenously made briefcases containing mini telephone exchanges.
Multi-city searches that started on Friday also revealed illegal funds transfer through shell companies. ₹100 crore unaccounted money has been seized in the raids.
The betting racket, which was operating from a residential premises in Gurgaon, came to light during the investigation of casino operators in Goa for alleged hawala transactions and high value betting, sources in the Income Tax told The Hindu .
While searching the premises in Gurgaon, officials found two indigenously developed briefcases containing mini telephone exchanges (using mobile phones), smart phones, laptop, big dish antennas, modem and a high mast antenna. All these had generator back up, sources said.
“This is a new sector being searched for the first time,” sources said. Several premises in Goa, Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Kolkata were searched as part of the operations.
It was not clear whether bets had been placed on cricket matches in the ongoing India-New Zealand series.
The casino operators have so far admitted to having ₹90 crore in unaccounted income, sources said. Over ₹2 crore in cash and unaccounted jewellery and foreign currency have also been seized.
