Hyderabad, Sep 24 (NationPress) The Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Telangana government to combat online betting, alongside the Crime Investigation Department (CID), executed raids across Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Punjab, resulting in the arrest of eight suspects, as confirmed by a senior official on Wednesday.

Charu Sinha, Additional Director General of Police at the CID and leading the SIT, stated that six teams conducted operations at various sites in the three states.

Authorities detained eight operators involved in online betting through six applications, leading to significant financial losses for the public, she noted.

The applications in question included Taj0077, Fairply.live, Andhra365, Vlbook, Telugu365, and Yes365.

Online betting and gambling predominantly target young adults and the wider public, enticing them with the allure of easy money. Such activities have caused many individuals to experience profound financial and emotional distress, with some tragically resulting in suicide, according to the official.

Sinha emphasized that the SIT is investigating four significant cases of online betting apps, including complaints against the operators of platforms like Taj0077, Fairplay, Andhra365, Vlbook, Telugu365, and other similar tools, for facilitating access to real-money gaming in Telangana, where such practices are illegal.

The primary suspects were tracked through advanced investigative techniques utilizing the latest technology.

Preliminary findings suggest that some main culprits may be operating from abroad. During the raids, numerous hardware devices containing vast amounts of data were confiscated.

Details regarding bank accounts, phone numbers, and email addresses were collected, resulting in several bank accounts being frozen, according to the SIT chief.

Upon reviewing the records of those apprehended, it was revealed that they were running a large-scale online betting enterprise across India, including Telangana.

Regarding the methodology employed by the organizers, the SIT chief indicated that they create online betting apps/websites to entice users, especially young adults and the general public, with promises of easy earnings.

The accused promote registrations and gather deposits via digital wallets, UPI, or bank accounts from bettors. They provided games like casino or sports betting.

To evade law enforcement, the accused frequently altered domains or utilized intermediaries. These actions have driven users into financial and psychological turmoil, profiting the organizers at the users' expense.