Ongole Police Bust Online Betting Racket With Foreign Links; Six Arrested

TIRUPATI: The Ongole Taluka police in Prakasam district have arrested six individuals involved in an online betting racket with international links. The accused allegedly transferred bank account details of unsuspecting citizens to foreign operators.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, district superintendent of police (SP) A.R. Damodar said the accused procured savings and current bank accounts through local contacts by offering ₹25,000 to ₹45,000 per account. These details were then handed over to international betting syndicates.

“The prime accused, Sk. Nayab Rasool of Ponnurmitta, along with Praneeth Kumar from Hyderabad, coordinated operations via Telegram groups. They offered money to individuals in exchange for opening bank accounts. Rasool even involved his mother, Khadarnissa, and another woman, Ayesha, to collect account details from locals. The documents were couriered to their associates,” the SP informed.

The racket is believed to be part of a larger international network operated by individuals identified as White, Jimmy, Monica, and Sheikh Yasin, who are suspected to be based abroad. The network used fake accounts to run illegal betting apps and launder money out of the country. Police have identified and frozen 27 bank accounts linked to the operation.

The other arrested individuals include Syed Shahzad Ali and Chaitanya Kumar from Nellore district. Police also seized ATM cards, passbooks, and SIM cards used in the operation.

Damodar cautioned the public against sharing sensitive information such as bank details, Aadhaar numbers, or OTPs, and advised citizens to avoid clicking on suspicious links.

The investigation was led by Ongole DSP R. Srinivasa Rao, Taluka CI Vijay Krishna, and IT Core officers. The SP appreciated the team’s efforts and said further efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining accused.