Nepal police bust alleged online betting operation in Pokhara
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Investigators say the group used Telegram and WhatsApp to distribute links to a betting website.
Nepal.- Police in Pokhara have arrested eight people following a raid on a suspected illegal online betting operation allegedly being run from a rented residential property under the guise of a software business. A raid was conducted at a seven-room house in the Sedi area at around 8.00am on Wednesday, July 8.
Investigators allege the group used Telegram and WhatsApp to distribute links to the betting website Gurubhai247.pro, where users could register, deposit funds and wager on cricket, football, casino games and other gambling products. Officers seized seven laptops, six monitors, 31 mobile phones, 34 Indian SIM cards, nine keyboards as well as power strips, routers and chargers.
A preliminary examination of seized computer systems revealed transaction records exceeding NPR200m (US$1.31m) across three digital accounts, police say. One account contained NPR11.2m (US$73,239) , while the other two showed balances of NPR90.2m (US$589,841) and NPR105.6m (US$690,546) , respectively.
Seven Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen were detained. Police identified 34-year-old Indian national Satyam Singh as the suspected organiser of the operation. Officers said they are investigating the financial infrastructure behind the operation after identifying multiple Indian banking and digital payment services allegedly used to process transactions. According to the police investigation, the syndicate is suspected of generating between INR300,000 (US$3,135) and INR400,000 (US$4,180) in daily revenue, while employees involved in payment processing reportedly earned monthly salaries of around INR25,000 (US$261).
Police believe the operation had been running for about three months after the suspects rented the property. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities examine bank records, digital wallets and potential links to other individuals connected to the suspected cross-border gambling ring.
Investigators say the group used Telegram and WhatsApp to distribute links to a betting website. Nepal.- Police in Pokhara have arrested eight people following a raid on a suspected illegal online betting operation allegedly being run from a rented residential property under the guise of a software business. A raid was conducted at a seven-room…
