LAHORE – The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) and Lahore Police’s proposed crackdown against gambling has yet to show any result, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The Lahore Police has made some progress, as it arrested around three dozen gamblers and bookies who were making the most of the ongoing World Cup. According to details, as soon as the mega event began on February 19, gamblers and bookies prepared themselves for earning huge money from the sporting festival. Gamblers, who were waiting for the opportunity, placed bets worth billions of rupees to realise their dreams of becoming millionaires and billionaires within a fortnight.
FIA and Lahore Police high-ups made tall claims that a massive crackdown would be launched against gamblers but only the Lahore Police succeeded in arresting three dozen gamblers from the Garden Town, Bhaati Gate, Lower Mall, Millat Park, Allama Iqbal Town, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and the Qila Gujjar Singh Police Station precincts.
Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Faisal Rana said that they have already ordered divisional SPs and all station house officers (SHO) to take stern action against bookies while they have also arrested some bookies.
Rana said that although divisional police officers have not been able to catch big fishes until now but they are monitoring their performances and after making conclusions, would take stern action against all SHOs who have not able to arrest big bookies.
A bookmaker, exposing the net of bookmaking, revealed that in Lahore around four to five top bookmaking groups are working. He said that betting starts from Dubai, Mumbai and South Africa, as top bookmakers of Lahore have a direct link with bookmakers in South Africa, India and Dubai.
He said that top bookies distribute lines for bookmaking to their subagents and Lahore has become a hub of bookies in recent few years and betting on cricket matches has reached its peak. He said that on average, three to four bookmakers are running gambling dens in one street of any area.
“One cannot believe the number of bookmakers, as around 50,000 bookies are functioning in the city”, he revealed. A bookie told Pakistan Today that gambling on cricket has touched its peak because most bookmakers have started using wireless connections to move easily in case of a police raid. He said that most of the business has also shifted to cellular phones. The bookie said that the biggies of this business also fill the pockets of SHOs concerned to avoid any raids.
