Sometimes, the truth is stranger than fiction. And that’s what I am trying to explore in the ‘Stranger Things’ series. Here, you will come across true stories that are bizarre, interesting, and worth knowing. Happy reading!
The tip
In early July 2022, Gujarat’s Mehsana Police received a tip related to a cricket betting racket. They acted on it and caught four perpetrators. This isn’t surprising as cricket betting, although illegal, is a rampant illegal activity in India.
But what came as a shock was what they were betting on — the scamsters had orchestrated an entire cricket tournament modelled on the Indian Premier League! The fake tournament meant that they could control the outcome of the cricket matches on which bets were placed by punters seated in Russian pubs across Tver, Voronezh and Moscow.
The setup
Turns out that one of the perpetrators arrested by the Mehsana Police was the chief organiser of the fake tournament. Here’s his backstory.
He had travelled to Russia to work in a pub. While working there, he realised it wasn’t an ordinary pub! It also acted as a betting den where punters placed bets on sports. There, he encountered an Indian and a Pakistani, and a sinister plot came to life — organising a fake IPL to accept bets from Russians.
It is alleged that this was masterminded by a Russian national (currently being hunted) who instructed the Indians and the Pakistanis involved to execute this heist.
The execution
A farm was rented and converted into a cricket field. 21 villagers were roped in to play the role of cricketers. They were paid Rs. 400 per game and divided into teams such as Chennai Fighters, Gandhinagar Challengers, etc., who would compete to win the Century Hitters T20 Trophy.
The matches were broadcasted Live on YouTube with fake crowd noise and pretend commentary. Apparently, this was enough to convince the Russians in the pub about the legitimacy of the tournament or maybe they were too drunk to notice the low production value of the games.
Enthusiastic Russians placed bets on the happenings of the game via the Telegram App. The scamsters viewed these bets and instructed the on-field umpires via walkie-talkie to direct the players to perform in a way that would benefit the house. For example, if the bets were placed against a wicket, the scamsters would ask the umpires to direct the batter to give away his wicket.
Most of the games were held in Molipur, Gujarat. But if the scamsters felt that things started getting fishy, they would change the venue. Allegedly, the initial money, around Rs. 3,00,000, reached the scamsters via Angadias, a traditional Indian courier network that works on commission and is often used by traders. The tournament had reached the Quarter-final stage when the Mehsana Police caught the scamsters.
The possibilities
Reports suggest that such fake matches were also being held in Meerut, Jalandhar, and Pune. Clearly, the plans were much bigger. Rs. 3,00,000 might come across as a small amount, but their idea was big. And if it wasn’t for the police’s timely intervention, the Rs. 3,00,000 could have potentially become Rs. 300,00,000 or even more!
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Disclaimer: This is a developing story. There are several versions of this news doing the rounds. However, the events narrated above are based on the following sources and some creative liberty has been taken to weave the narrative.
Sources:
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