Navi Mumbai: The Raigad Cyber Police have busted a massive online gaming and gambling racket, arresting one accused from Rajasthan and freezing Rs 194.4 crore across 44 mule bank accounts linked to the fraud.
Rajasthan Man Held in Online Gambling Scam
The arrested accused has been identified as Bharmal Hanuman Meena (38), resident of Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. Police said he was operating the AM999 Online Games app along with accomplices, duping people across states through illegal betting and gaming platforms.
According to officials, the case was registered on September 19, after a complainant from Alibag reported losing Rs 10,000 through one of the gaming apps. During the probe, cyber police found that dozens of mobile apps—including AM999, Madhur Matka, Parimatch, Casinodays, Bluechip, 1XBET, 4rabet and others—were being used to lure citizens with false promises of returns.
Investigations revealed that the accused and his associates were routing money through multiple mule accounts. Relatives of the arrested man were also found running several current accounts across different banks, earning daily commissions from fraudulent transactions.
Crores Moved Through Shell Accounts, Bank Staff Suspected
Senior police officials confirmed that among the frozen accounts, suspicious high-value transactions included Rs 56 crore, Rs 114 crore and Rs 186 crore in just two months through different shell firms linked to the racket. Some of the accounts were opened in the names of ordinary shopkeepers and homemakers, but handled crores of rupees, raising suspicion of bank staff involvement.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also probing the network, which is believed to involve over 500 mule accounts and transactions worth nearly Rs 3,000 crore nationwide.
Citizens Warned to Avoid Illegal Gambling Apps
Superintendent of Police, Raigad, Aachal Dalal said, “This is one of the biggest crackdowns on online gambling fraud in recent times. Citizens must remain alert and avoid downloading or investing money through such illegal apps. We will continue to track and dismantle these networks.”
Police have appealed to citizens to report any such fraud immediately to their local police or the Raigad Cyber Police Station.
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