Police in Odisha’s Malkangiri district have unearthed an interstate online betting racket and arrested four scammers, including two kingpins, from Raipur in Chhattisgarh.
After verifying 142 mule accounts, police found that some had been created by middlemen from Odisha’s Kotpad area on the false promise of MGNREGA payments to innocent citizens.
These multiple bank accounts, passbooks and mobile numbers were collected and couriered to the network operating in Raipur, police said.
Delving deep into the fraudulent network, the Malkangiri police arrested four persons, including two kingpins from Raipur in Chhattisgarh, and brought them on police remand for further investigation.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were operating illegal betting platforms and managing transactions through multiple bank accounts and digital payment channels through a sophisticated, organised network.
Multiple WhatsApp groups were created by the accused to coordinate the payments and illegal betting across states.
During the operation, digital devices and financial documents were also seized. Further investigation is underway to uncover the wider network and arrest other associates across states.
The action also aims to protect innocent citizens, particularly tribal youth and villagers, from being misused by such networks to open or lend their bank accounts for illegal money transfers, which can expose them to serious legal trouble.
People are advised not to provide their bank accounts and other credentials to unknown persons. These accounts may be used for cybercrime and other illegal fraudulent activities that could pose a serious legal risk, the police added.