Hyderabad: Matka traders outwit police with online operations

Hyderabad: Matka operators have taken their illegal betting online, leaving the police trailing behind.  Matka agents, bookies and organisers used to collect money from customers by providing slips, which made it easy for the police to track them down.

With Matka operators turning ‘smart’, police is unable to get much information. Nearly 150 websites receive money from customers through secured payment gateways.

The matka rings are located in Karnataka and Maharashtra, but most customers are said to be from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. According to estimates, these sites collect Rs 20 crore online in both the two states.

Websites like ‘sattaranking’, ‘sattamatkajackpot’, ‘esattamatka’, ‘matkamaster’, ‘sattamatka’, ‘mat-kaking‘, ‘kalyanmatka’ and others accept bets and accept online. These websites also assure customers that their financial statements will not have the words ‘matka’ or ‘satta’.

The earlier Mumbai (night matka) and Kalyan (day matka) gambling have now grown to many other types: Milan (day), Milan (night), Time Bazar, Manipuri Matka, Rajd-hani (day) and Rajdhani (night). Agents and bookies have started their own websites to collect money online.

Cyberabad crimes DCP Dr B. Naveen Kumar said that special operation teams had been conducting raids whenever they get information about matka agents. WIth matka operators going online, they can be booked under cyber crime laws, he said. “We are keenly observing the flowcharts of these websites,” Dr Kumar said.

Hyderabad Task Force DCP B. Limba Reddy said that it was become difficult to identify agents and operators on web. “Although, the organisers are adopting sophisticated technology to mask their identity, our teams have been conducting raids. In 14 months, we have apprehended 38 matka operators. Our teams have been keeping watch on online and offline matka,” he said.