Fake Indian Cricket League Swindles Russian Gamblers

On Thursday, when officers from a special investigation team of the Gujarat police arrived on the fake grounds, they checked the phones of players and laptops of the organizers and found multiple Telegram channels. The officers soon realized that an elaborate betting scam run by four men sitting near the ground was unfolding, and that they were being handled by another Indian man working in Russia.

Mr. Tyagi, the police officer, said that during questioning, one organizer who had returned to Molipur, his native village, after working in a pub in Moscow famous for betting, revealed that in Russia, a fellow Indian had suggested he start a fake league in his village to make money.

“He was in constant touch with his partner in Russia,” Mr. Tyagi said. “These are new criminals with a technological bent of mind.”

The four men have been charged with criminal conspiracy and gambling, officials told reporters.

When the suspects were caught, the fake league matches were in the semifinals, with just one more to go before the finals. Then, after the ruse was revealed, the YouTube channel went dark.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/12/world/asia/fake-indian-cricket-league-russia.html