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The metropolis constabulary person arrested the alleged kingpin of an interstate online betting and wealth laundering racket from Kolkata, successful a large breakthrough successful a lawsuit that is estimated to person facilitated amerciable transactions worthy implicit ₹400 crore successful six months.
Addressing a property league connected Wednesday (May 13, 2026), Police Commissioner Shankha Brata Bagchi said the alleged kingpin, Karan Pakhrani, 27, alias Gabbar, was apprehended from a hideout successful the Regent Park country of Kolkata. Six of his associates, progressive successful managing the method and fiscal logistics of the operation, were besides taken into custody.
Mule accounts
The case, registered arsenic Crime No. 80/2025 astatine the Cyber Crime constabulary station, originated from a ailment by an unemployed younker who was allegedly lured into providing slope accounts connected the pretext of ineligible gaming. Investigation revealed that the racket allegedly utilized 224 “mule” slope accounts sourced from assorted States to furniture and integrate funds generated done betting sites.
Mr. Bagchi said the accused had operated a tiered structure, utilizing telephone centres successful Bengaluru and different metropolitan hubs to coordinate with sub-bookies. The amerciable funds were routed done UPI and slope transfers, and moved done a analyzable web of accounts to evade detection by fiscal regulators, helium said.
Forensic tools used
The Commissioner said precocious integer forensic tools, KHOJ and Gandhivam, played a cardinal relation successful cracking the case. The tools allowed investigators to representation the integer footprints of the accused, corroborate instrumentality ownership, and nexus circumstantial mobile numbers and email addresses to the betting platforms.
“Our teams tracked the suspects crossed respective States, including Karnataka, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh. By analysing the Call Detail Records (CDR) and IP logs, we were capable to pinpoint the halfway enactment of the gang,” the Commissioner said.
During the raids, the constabulary seized mobile phones, slope passbooks and currency counting machines.
A informing against indebtedness traps
Mr. Bagchi cautioned that online gambling platforms were designed to propulsion susceptible individuals into indebtedness traps. He said the racket had targeted younker and those successful fiscal distress, and that this often led to fiscal ruin for their families.
The constabulary person frozen respective linked accounts, and are pursuing the way of sub-bookies and “punters” dispersed crossed the country. The arrested person been brought to Visakhapatnam connected transit remand and volition beryllium produced successful tribunal for judicial custody.
