Online football betting racket: Odisha EOW arrests 4th accused

Bhubaneswar: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Odisha Police has arrested another accused in the online football betting racket, which was operated by cyber scammers from China and Dubai.

The police on Monday arrested Dileepkumar P. (35), a diploma in business management holder, from Thrissur, Kerala.

Dileepkumar is the fourth accused to be arrested in the case.

He is the director of Kerala-based shell company Priwest Global Solution Pvt Ltd., which was utilized to channelize the ill-gotten money of this scam, said Dilip Tripathy, Superintendent of Police, EOW.

EOW could trace around Rs 19.49 crore which have been routed using the shell company. Dileepkumar is also the founder of Omana Foundation Public Charitable Trust, Coimbatore, which was used to channelize the proceeds of this scam.

Based on the complaints of about 800 duped investors of Ganjam district, the EOW had registered the case against the online football betting company (www.18football.com).

Tripathy said the online betting company is suspected to have cheated thousands of people of over Rs 1,000 crore in the country.

So far, the Odisha Police have been able to trace out transactions worth Rs 525 crore.

Earlier, two directors of a Kolkata-based shell company and one director of another shell company of Rajasthan were arrested.