5 arrested in Silchar for illegal IPL betting

Silchar: Cachar police have busted an alleged IPL gambling racket and arrested five persons from Silchar town during a late-night raid on Sunday, officials said. The operation was launched following specific intelligence inputs, leading to the arrest of Samir Ajiz. Based on his interrogation, four more accused — Saibul Hussain Laskar, Zahir Hussain Laskar, Rajat Kumar Singh, and Aftab Laskar — were arrested. Police seized Rs 80,230, seven mobile phones, a notebook containing betting calculations, and four sheets related to IPL gambling activities from the accused.Additional SP (crime) of Cachar Rajat Kumar Pal told reporters on Monday that a case has been registered at Silchar police station and all five accused were produced before a court.“Acting on complaints about illegal betting during the IPL, we formed a dedicated team. Using human and technical intelligence, we tracked suspected individuals and conducted the raid after confirming their location,” Pal said.He added that the investigation will now focus on uncovering larger networks linked to the illegal betting trade. “We will identify the bigger players involved and examine their connections with neighbouring districts and states,” he said.Police said further arrests and seizures may follow as the probe expands into what is suspected to be a wider organised gambling network operating during the cricket season.