Goa cyber police bust interstate IPL betting racket, six arrested

Six individuals from Gujarat, Rajasthan and West Bengal have been arrested for allegedly operating an online IPL betting racket from a rented premises in Sangolda village, North Goa , police said on Thursday.

Acting on specific intelligence, the Cyber Crime police station carried out a late-night raid between April 15 and April 16 , during which the accused were allegedly caught red-handed while placing and accepting bets on ongoing IPL matches using mobile-based applications.

Police said the group was running a coordinated operation through “MG Lion and Kabook 1 apps” , managing betting activity using multiple smartphones and digital accounts. The accused allegedly used fake identities, forged credentials and mule bank accounts to conceal financial transactions and route illegal proceeds across different accounts.

During the raid, investigators seized six laptops, multiple mobile phones, ATM cards, and Rs 31,000 in cash , along with digital devices and documents linked to the operation. The total value of recovered material is estimated at around Rs 10 lakh , officials said.

Preliminary findings suggest that the accused were part of an interstate betting module , handling transactions and coordination across multiple states. Police believe the network may have wider links, and efforts are underway to identify the kingpin and financial backers behind the racket.

The operation was conducted under the supervision of senior cyber crime officials, led by Inspector Deepak Pednekar, and monitored by Superintendent of Police (Cyber Crime) Raju Raut Desai.

Cases have been registered under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act , and further investigation is in progress.