Russian punters duped by fake cricket league in Gujarat village, four held
India Today
Four people were arrested for running a fake cricket league in a small village of Vadnagar in Gujarat. The aim was to dupe Russian punters into betting on the matches.
Four people were arrested for running a fake cricket league in a small village of Vadnagar in Gujarat with the aim of duping Russian punters.
Putting up a near-perfect con, the accused had a proper live setup and orchestrated nearly real matches. They also engaged a commentator who could mimic Harsha Bhogle.
They accepted bets from punters in three Russian cities of Tver, Voronezh and Moscow on the matches of the league, which was being broadcast live over a YouTube channel.
They had almost reached the quarter-finals of the fake league but were caught by the cops before they could reach the semi-finals.
In Molipur village of Vadnagar, the accused first bought a small farm. The farm was cleared and made like a cricket ground. The pitch was made and a proper halogen light setup was done. Match commentary and live multi-cam setup was also done.
Villagers were hired by the accused and matches were played. Fake teams involving labourers and youngsters were created.
According to the local police, the league was specifically conducted for betting purposes and catered specifically to the Russian market.
