Tirupati/Nellore: The Nellore police have dismantled an international online cricket betting racket and arrested two key accused who were allegedly operating from Dubai and Bangkok.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, Additional SP Deeksha identified the accused as P Mahesh Babu (37) and P Hari Krishna (29). The arrests followed a complaint lodged by a Balaji Nagar resident, who alleged that a fraudulent investment firm cheated him of Rs53 lakh on February 19.
During the investigation, police uncovered that Mahesh Babu and Hari Krishna had developed and managed several online cricket betting platforms, including Radhe Exchange, Victor111, and National 999. The duo allegedly ran the illegal betting network from overseas locations for the past two months, orchestrating an organized cybercrime operation.
After gathering substantial evidence, the police arrested the accused and seized Rs34 lakh in cash, 13 mobile phones, and a laptop. Authorities also froze Rs1.6 crore in the accused’s bank accounts.
Further investigation revealed that transactions amounting to Rs89 lakh were routed through UPI platforms, indicating the scale of the illegal betting activities.
Police stated that further inquiries are underway to trace additional links and financial trails connected to the racket.
