Pune: Online gambling dens operating under garb of lottery shops busted in Bibwewadi; 42 arrested, Rs 19 lakh seized
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Pune: The social security cell of Pune City Police raided eight online gambling dens allegedly being run under the garb of online lottery shops in Bibwewadi area and arrested 42 persons on Saturday.
A team of social security cell of the Pune Police conducted a recce of Savidhan chowk and KK market and confirmed that gambling activities were operating in the shops in the area under the garb of online lottery, reported Hindustan Times.
Senior police inspector Rajesh Puranik, who heads the social security cell informed that gambling activities completely stopped in Budhwar peth area after repeated action, but they started operating from Bibwewadi.
The Police also seized 27 motorcycles, 32 mobile phones and other gambling material worth Rs 19 lakh from the accused after the raids, added Puranik as reported by Hindustan Times.
Police further said that the gambling dens operated under the curtain on of online lottery, lotto lottery and online gaming.
Meanwhile, Bibwewadi police station have registered a case under Sections 4 and 5 of the Maharashtra Prevention of Gambling Act against 94 persons, including the arrested persons, shop owners, and workers in the shop.
Earlier on July 23, the Pune Police raided three online gambling dens being operated under the garb of lottery and video gaming centres in the Kondhwa area and arrested 16 people.
The officials said that had received an input that three shops located in two adjacent commercial complexes in Kondhwa, which were licensed for the sale of state-authorised lottery tickets and also as video gaming centres, were running the online gambling rackets, as per The Indian Express report.
Based on the information, raids were conducted on the evening of July 23 by the social security cell and arrested the owners of those shops, some record keepers employed at the shops and some people who had come to gamble at the shops.
