In a major crackdown on illegal gambling activities, Indian police arrested a total of eleven individuals in two separate operations in Guwahati. The raids targeted both online and offline gambling networks, exposing the widespread use of illegal betting apps and underground gambling dens.
Six caught gambling inside car
Basistha police acted on a tip-off and caught six individuals red-handed from inside a white Maruti Baleno near Sarusajai Stadium. The arrested have been identified as Munwar Hassan (27), Sukur Ali Ahmed (40), Partha Pratim Das alias Moon (31), Lutfar Rahman (40), Mokbur Hussain (36), and Abdullah Ali Faruk (22).
The group was allegedly involved in both online and offline gambling using illegal betting apps. Police also suspect them of operating mule bank accounts to route money by deceiving innocent people. The raid led to the seizure of eight mobile phones, several ATM cards, PAN and Aadhaar cards — including some duplicates — ₹8,780 ($103.96) in cash, and the vehicle.
More gambling dens busted
In a parallel action, police carried out coordinated raids across Old Market, Jugdol Tiniali, Jugdol, and Medhikuchi. These raids targeted illegal gambling operations. Five persons were arrested — Pijush Dutta (50), Mithun Dey (38), Prem Chetry (21), Dipu Das (38), and Pabitra Rahang (47).
Police dismantled four active dens and recovered evidence of gambling activities. Seized items included five mobile phones used for digital transactions, several notebooks and handwritten ledgers detailing sales, carbon paper, a scale used for manual ticketing, pens for numbering, and ₹4,180 in cash.
Illegal betting apps and mule accounts under scanner
Police revealed that the arrested individuals from both operations were part of organised networks that used mobile apps and mule accounts for gambling and money laundering. The use of digital tools and identity theft is also under investigation, especially concerning duplicate Aadhaar and PAN cards.
Assets seized in fresh raids
Enforcement Directorate (ED), law enforcement and economic intelligence agency of India, has seized securities, bonds, and demat accounts worth ₹573 crore ($67.33 million) following fresh raids in connection with the Mahadev Online Betting App-linked money laundering case. The federal agency conducted these searches on 16 April across multiple cities, intensifying its probe into the illegal betting network.
The ED carried out searches at various locations in Delhi, Mumbai, Indore, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Chennai, and Sambalpur in Odisha. During these operations, officials seized cash worth ₹3.29 crore and confiscated electronic records and documents.
The probe revealed that proceeds from these illegal betting operations were funnelled abroad and subsequently reintroduced into the Indian financial system under the disguise of foreign portfolio investments (FPIs). These funds were then used to invest in listed companies—particularly in the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) segment—to manipulate stock prices. This deliberate inflation was aimed at misleading investors and falsely enhancing company valuations, thereby extending the cycle of financial deception and regulatory evasion.
