Bookie in a brief case

Police in the Uttar Pradesh province of India have reported the break-up of an illegal sports betting ring in which the bookmaking gang, led by one Rohit Gupta, used a bespoke, technology laden briefcase that enabled the ring to take in-play bets on Indian cricket.

The “bookie briefcase” had been successfully deployed for a year or more, taking bets worth the equivalent of US$3.2 million, a police spokesman revealed.

A special police task force examined the briefcase and reported that its built-in technology could interconnect up to 32 callers to place their bets simultaneously during a live match.

“The suitcase connected all the phones in such a way that the bookie’s voice would be audible on all phones at the same time. The phone lines of gamblers were connected to a speaker beneath the suitcase to record their stakes,” said Raj Kumar Mishra of the Special Task Force in a press briefing.

“The gang was using the briefcase for least one year. The set-up gave them high mobility and allowed early wrap-up in case of an emergency.”

Investigators identified the manufacturer of the bookie briefcase as an electrician from Najafgarh in southwest Delhi, but said that he would not be prosecuted because making customised electronic equipment is not a crime.

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