Karachi: No less than 23 billion rupees have so far been transferred through the illegal betting racket that has picked up in the country with the start of the 2011 cricket World Cup in India and Bangladesh.
According to sources, of the 23, Karachi’s contribution in this kitty has been nine billion rupees.
“Bookies are maintaining their own money changers from where this money is being shifted to bigger books across the border,” confirmed sources who are part and parcel of the underworld business club. “This is not the first time such a thing is happening. This is the Eid festival-like time for bookies, because so much money changes hands in this season.”
Gambling is illegal in South Asia where billions change hands under the direct and indirect knowledge of politicians and influential technocrats. Three Pakistani cricketers are serving five-year, seven-year and 10-year bans after they were guilty of spot fixing in a match in England last year.
According to a survey carried out by The News Tribe, 12 handlers or bookies at 19 gambling points in different areas of the city said the racket had picked up as an Eid festival, more so because it was being held in the sub continent. The survey and interviews were carried out with the gamblers as a customer.
There are more than 5,000 bookies, including 250 bookies of Karachi, in all over the country and run their illegal business under the shelter of high-ups of law enforcers and government officials, sources claimed.
About 33 money changer in the country are working to handle the money transaction of the bookies in an organize way and these money changers have close links with the high ups of the gamblers in and out of the country.
Four bookies had established “Madina Money Exchange” and about two years ago announced end of this business when it was declared a defaulter. Than about half a year ago another man from high business class of the minority, open a money exchanger point on the sixth floor of a famous building at I.I Chundrigar Road and give a name to money exchange point with the initial alphabets of his name.
Sources said that influential and political personalities had participated in the inauguration of the money exchanger.
“The biggest bookies run their business in a building near 100 yards from the country’s largest media group. He is in direct contact with the bookies in Mumbai also,” a source said, who is well connected with the situation.
“In fact this money exchange point is working as a “bank” of bookies to maintain their money in an organize way”, a bookie said and added “This money exchange point is making transaction of about 500 million rupees daily”.
More than 93 accounts are opened in this so called money exchange point and bookies are in close touch with the organization, sources said.
The I.I. Chundrigar bookie, as he is now known among clients and supporters, holds considerable power among the city’s elite class. The office was inaugurated by a politician from the city, and who belongs to the ruling party.
“The money is transferred to India when the local books overshoot their limit, and the accounts are transferred to India where the accounts are bigger and are more organized there,” the source said.
Gambling has been a source of great worry for the international Cricket Council, which has an anti-corruption unit and even a tribunal which had found the three Pakistani cricketers guilty of their actions.
According to sources the World Cup, which ends on April 2, will attract an equal or more amount that will eventually find its way to Dubai, which is regarded by gamblers as the golden point of gambling in the world, where the books run in all forms of currencies.
“Once the books in run India over run their limit, their last stop will be Dubai which is the centre of all this evil,” the source said. “There futures are made and destroyed because with one right decision you can make billions, and with one bad, you can lose and be indebted under equal amounts.”
Despite the world matches are being played in India, Bangladesh and Srilanka, Bookies in Pakistan have organized their own world cup.
More than 1300 bookies, including 250 bookies of Karachi, are running their illegal business under the shelter of high ups of government and law enforcers.
Government personalities and law enforcers are generating billions of rupees from the bookies racket only in Karachi. Some ex-players and relatives of the players are said to be involved in this illegal business.
Bookies have different hideouts in the city while so called white collars families are running this business from their homes.
In Ghas Mandi bookies have obtained houses and flats on rent. They are paying five times high rent than its original cast.
“A flat or house can be obtained at the rent of 5000 to 8000 rupees while bookies are paying more than 20,000 to the owners of the houses while 56 bookies have purchased their on property here”, said sources.
According to details only 150 bookies are running their books in the area of Ghas Mandi while rest of the bookies offering services in different areas of the city.
“Each bookie has one book with a specific limit of the money, when the limit of money will cross then the bookie will contact to his higher one”, said a bookie while talking to UK-based bilingual news website The News Tribe.
There are books, having limits from 25,000 rupees to 25 billion rupees, are operating in the city. Its mean that a bookie have book of 25,000 rupees limit can not offered his customer more than this target. If customer will increase and book will cross its limit than the owner of the book will make a contact with bookie having book of 50,000 or higher rupees.
When books, having limits in billion of rupees, cross their limit then owner of the book make a contact with bookies in India having higher limits of books.
Each bookie name his book normally in digits consisting of his mobile or land line number. Persons who have interest in playing this game contact on the book number with a reference of a person close to the bookie.
Some of the bookies and their books numbers are
1) Faisal Rangeela (Kharadar) book number 03222115117,
2) Haneef Lakha (Kharadar), running two books having numbers 03218914066, 03219219980,
3) Ajoo (Moosmiat Chowrangi) book number 03002645086,
4) Aftab Mithani (Ranchore Line) book number 032125388731.
Bookies have set different phases to play Satta and name this phases “Fansy”, “Long” and “Win”. These phases can be defined as the Fansy phase is for those who are interesting in playing Satta just on 10 overs or limited overs while Long is for those who have interest to make a deal on complete one side inning of 50 overs and Win is for those people who want to play on the match decision.
When match will start Bookie of each will offer two figures mean one figure for one team and second figure for other team than bookies will ask from the customer to choose figure and team.
They use code words to their customers as ( “40, 41 ka bhao hay, kha lo ya laga lo” ) its mean select your team with rate. Sources said if match will tie than all the deal are cancelled and no one gain profit.
When two strong teams will play against each other than ratio of Satta will be very low but when a low profile and a high profile teams will be in ground than rate will be very high.
The rate of the match between Ireland and England was 14 and 73 in Karachi but when England lost the match bookies won billions of rupees in this match.
The sources told that political groups and law enforcers are getting millions of rupees to provide them security.
“Only Ghas Mandi provide 250 million rupees per month to the man Sub Inspector Waseem, nominated by the police while different criminal groups having links with political parties of the city generate 10 to 100 million per month from this area”, sources said.
Sub Inspector Waseem has close links with the high ups of the police and home department and delivers bribes to the officials, said a bookie.
Waseem has great influence in all of the police stations in Karachi as he is directly involve in posting of the SHOs, said sources in police department.
Local police station do not make any interference in the area of Ghas Mandi as Waseem has instructed them to remain far away from this area.
Police sources told Waseem is a controversial personality as he is very close to the high ups. Some months ago his wife and nephew were killed and he servived in an attack by unknown persons.
Waseem claimed this incident as an attck on him but sources said that it’s a controversial issue and the inquiry of this case have been halted on the instruction of police high ups, sources said.
In defence, Clifton, Kharadar, and other areas Bookies provide heavy amounts to a person Ishtiaq alias Ganja to run their illegal business safely. Ishtiaq Ganja is said to be a agent of police officials who collects money from the gamblers.
Ishtiaq Ganja is also bookie and running a book having limit of 100 million rupees in Defence and Clifton.
There are more than 63 luxury flats are being used by the bookies for different purposes. These flats are used for playing Satta on the matches while same flats are being used for private dance parties on weekends in which political and police officials participated.
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