Cricket betting racket busted in Moodbidri, Three held

Mangaluru: A cricket betting racket operating in Alangar, Marpadi village, Moodbidri was busted, and 3 persons were arrested, police said on Monday, October 16.

The arrested accused have been identified as Naveed (30), a resident of Beluvai Village, Umesh (40), and Prasad Devadiga (35) of Padumarnadu village.

Acting on a verified tip-off, Naveed was found accepting money from Prasad and Umesh for cricket betting on the mobile platform ‘Comfort Zone 247’. The betting pertained to the Sri Lanka vs Australia cricket match held today.

During questioning, Naveed disclosed that transactions were made through Google Pay and Phone Pay. Further investigation revealed that the website ‘Comfort Zone 247’ is purportedly controlled by an individual based in Mumbai.

The accused, Naveed, has been taken into custody and is being prosecuted under Section 78(3)(4) of the Karnataka Police Act (AC 157/2023) at Moodbidri Police Station with the authorization of the competent court. Additionally, Naveed’s mobile device has been seized for evidentiary purposes, police added.

Umesh and Prasad were also implicated in the illicit betting operation.