Raigarh, India | The Raigarh Police have dismantled a major inter-state online cricket betting syndicate, uncovering betting transactions worth millions of rupees during an operation conducted in Kolkata, officials said on Thursday.
Acting on intelligence inputs, a joint team from the Cyber Crime Unit, Kotwali Police Station, and Chakradhar Nagar Police carried out a late-night raid at a hotel in Howrah, near Kolkata, where the betting network was being operated. Six wanted suspects with standing arrest warrants were taken into custody along with two additional individuals whose roles are currently under investigation.
Police seized 25 mobile phones, three laptops, one tablet, a calculator, and cash totaling ₹3,600, with the total value of confiscated assets estimated at approximately ₹650,000. Investigators said the devices were being used to place online bets on ongoing international cricket matches through a betting application.
According to officials, the accused were coordinating with gamblers across multiple Indian states, accepting bets via mobile phones and operating entirely through digital platforms. A preliminary examination of transaction records revealed that bets worth several crores of rupees had been placed over the past month alone.
The arrested individuals were long-time fugitives in multiple gambling cases registered in Raigarh in 2025 under state gambling prohibition laws. Special teams had been tracking their movements after learning they had shifted operations to Kolkata to evade arrest.
Senior Superintendent of Police Shashi Mohan Singh issued a stern warning following the operation.
“Those involved in gambling and betting cannot escape the law by hiding in other states. Raigarh will be made completely free from gambling activities, and every offender will be sent to jail,” Singh said.
The six main accused have been arrested under existing warrants and will be produced before the court. The two additional suspects detained during the raid are being questioned, and separate legal action will follow if their involvement is confirmed.
Police officials added that further investigations are underway to identify other members linked to the betting network.