PANAJI/MARGAO
In a major crackdown on matka gambling in Goa, several teams of police including top officers along with Crime Branch sleuths fanned out across the State raiding and arresting matka agents.
Police sources informed that “more than 100 raids have been conducted all over Goa by the district police and the Crime Branch” leading to “approximately 100 arrests.”
The raids are ongoing and could continue into Tuesday. The number of agents raided and arrested could rise further.
The raids come on the back of High Court warning the Goa Police that it would form its own Special Investigation Team to probe the presence of matka in the State if the police were found wanting in their crackdown.
Meanwhile, matka operations in the commercial capital and the Margao police sub-division, which was carried out over the years with police and political patronage, came to an abrupt halt on Monday evening after the police conducted simultaneous raids across Salcete taluka.
Around 27 matka bookies were rounded up in Salcete taluka, with Margao topping the list with 12 arrests. Maina Curtorim police station followed closely with eight arrests, Colva (5) and Cuncolim (4).
The police said that they have seized money and matka gambling material, including betting slips from the arrested persons. While Margao police seized currency amounting to Rs 6,000, their Maina Curtorim counterparts seized around Rs 4,000. The Colva police have claimed seizure of Rs 26,000 from the arrested bookies.
As news spread about the police raids, matka operators sent signals to their agents and bookies to stop accepting the bets. Following the raids, acceptance of matka bets came to halt across the Margao Sub-division, right from Margao to Navelim, Cuncolim, Colva and other areas of the sub-division coming under the jurisdiction of Margao, Colva, Maina Curtorim and Cuncolim police stations.
