the goan I network
PORVORIM
Having seized barely Rs 54,300 in cash during the previous 86 raids on matka gambling, a team from the North Goa police had no idea that a single raid on matka gambling on Friday would lead to the seizure of over 100 times that amount.
In what is believed to be the single biggest raid on matka gambling activity in the State, police busted a gambling den in Morjim and arrested 11 persons, while seizing a staggering Rs 59.34 lakh in cash and 54 mobile phones from the premises.
Such was the secrecy of the raid that only three members of the police team were aware of the raid at Vithaldas-Morjim on Friday afternoon.
Addressing a news conference in the evening, Superintendent of Police Chandan Chowdhary said the District Investigation Unit at Porvorim, which is headed by her, had received reliable information about massive gambling activity at a house in Morjim on Friday.
“We had received several complaints from locals about this gambling activity. We decided to raid the site and to ensure success of the raid, only three members of the police team were aware about the raid. While leaving for raid, some more staff were included in the team, but they were completely unaware about the place and nature of the raid,” said SP Chowdhary.
The police team then raided the house, while illegal gambling was in progress, at about 2.45 pm.
The police team arrested the house owner Reginaldo D’Costa and 10 of his bookies, Ankush Parab, Lamikant Gawde, Gajanan Morje, Pravin Parsekar, Agnel Fernandes, Laxmikant Mhamal, Pratap Salgaonkar, Anthony D’Souza, Vithal Goltekar and Damodar .
Cops get reliable info about massive gambling activity at a house in Morjim
Only three cops kept in the loop about the raid; more staffers included but were unaware about the place and nature of the raid
Police team raids house at about 2.45 pm while gambling was in progress
House owner, 10 other bookies arrested
Rs 59,34,500, 54 mobile phones, 2 laptops, 3 keyboards, 18 calculators, cash calculating machine and stationery seized
