Ahmedabad: Five men from Rajasthan were arrested after police busted an alleged online betting and financial fraud operation being run from a rented house in Naranpura.Police believe the accused were acting as local operators for the controversial ‘Reddy Anna’ betting platform, managing customer registrations, handling deposits and withdrawals, and routing money through a network of suspected mule bank accounts.The accused are Sachin Bakoliya, 26, Vishal Balotiya, 23, Sonu Badariya, 25, Munnaram Naval, 23, and Chhoturam Naval, 26.According to police, the group converted a rented house in Jitendranagar Society into a control centre for betting-related transactions. Police raided the premises and seized laptops, smartphones, internet routers, SIM cards and multiple debit cards allegedly linked to bank accounts used in the operation.The FIR lodged by police states that the accused created user IDs for customers on the platform and encouraged them to participate in online cricket and football betting. Customers were instructed to deposit money into bank accounts controlled by the group. Once funds were received, the accused allegedly moved them through multiple accounts in an attempt to obscure the money trail.Police suspect the operation depended heavily on mule accounts. An examination of the laptops and mobile phones revealed screenshots, transaction details and operational records linked to the betting platform. Investigators also found material suggesting that customer onboarding, account management and payment processing were being handled from the Ahmedabad location.The probe has acquired a wider dimension after police discovered that at least one bank account linked to the racket had figured in cyberfraud complaints registered in multiple states.Police sources said a similar racket linked to the platform had been uncovered in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur region about six months ago, and police are examining whether there are operational or financial links between the two cases.The five accused have been booked under BNS provisions related to cheating, criminal conspiracy and other offences.
