Rs 5,000-Crore Bets Linked To Underworld Placed On India-New Zealand Final, Say Sources

India has emerged as the favorite team among international bookies, according to sources tracking betting rings. Bets amounting to ₹5,000 crore have reportedly been placed on the Champions Trophy final, set to take place in Dubai on Sunday.

Many of these bookies are linked to the underworld, with major betting operations centered in Dubai during high-profile cricket matches, sources revealed. Among those involved is Dawood Ibrahim's notorious gang, 'D Company,' which is said to have a strong foothold in Dubai's cricket betting scene.

Crackdown on Betting Syndicates
Delhi Police's Crime Branch has already arrested five key bookies during the Champions Trophy, uncovering their involvement in placing bets on the semi-final matches. Their interrogation led investigators to Dubai, where the larger network operates.

In one case, two bookies, Parveen Kochhar and Sanjay Kumar, were caught red-handed while placing live bets on the India-Australia semi-final using laptops and mobile phones. Several electronic devices and other betting-related items were seized.

Parveen Kochhar had purchased a master ID from a betting website called lucky.com and used it to create and sell betting IDs to punters, charging a 3% commission on every transaction. For offline betting, transactions were conducted over phone calls and recorded in a notepad.

To facilitate the operation, Kochhar had rented a house for ₹35,000 per month and had been running the betting business for two years, making a daily profit of ₹40,000 on match days. During questioning, he admitted that the entire operation was controlled from Dubai.

Key Figures in the Betting Racket
Chhotu Bansal: A resident of West Delhi, now based in Dubai. He developed a betting app in Canada, which others rent to place bets.
Vinay: A resident of Delhi's Moti Nagar, also in Dubai. He provided real-time feedback directly from the cricket grounds.
Other Identified Members: Bobby, Golu, Nitin Jain, and Jitu, all from Delhi, are reportedly part of the syndicate.
Among those arrested from Delhi were Manish Sahani, Yogesh Kukeja, and Suraj, all of whom have ties to Dubai. The police recovered ₹22 lakh in cash from them.

Manish Sahani was identified as the primary operator, responsible for recording the voices of individuals placing bets and managing transactions through bank accounts or cash. He ran the entire operation independently, without involving middlemen.

International Links to Betting Apps
During questioning, the accused revealed that an overseas group, including Mannu Matka, Akshay Gehlot, Nishu, Rinku, and Aman Rajput, had developed the Satta betting app outside India, further strengthening the global betting syndicate.

Authorities continue to investigate the extent of the operation, as Dubai remains a central hub for illegal cricket betting activities.