Delhi Police dismantle betting syndicate; 7 arrested, bulletproof car seized

In a major crackdown on organised crime, the Delhi Police dismantled a high-profile organised crime syndicate, arresting seven key members and recovering a large cache of illegal arms, ammunition, cash and valuables, including a modified bulletproof vehicle, officials said on Saturday.

The police said the first breakthrough in the case came on March 19 when they acted on a tip-off regrading armed criminals hiding in Tajpur Kalan village. A raiding team intercepted one accused, identified as Amit (37), and recovered an illegal firearm with five live cartridges from his vehicle.

An interrogation led police to the kingpin of the alleged illegal betting syndicate, identified as Pardeep Kumar (37), alias Sehwag. Kumar was arrested along with two of his associates, Sahil (26) and Vikash (25), said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer-North) Hareshwar Swami.

Kumar, described by the police as a “bad character”, has seven previous criminal involvements and is alleged to be an active member of the Tillu gang. “He operated as a bookie, financier and property dealer, while his associates acted as armed enforcers and were primarily responsible for recovering betting money through intimidation and violence,” said the DCP.

During the search, the police uncovered a “sophisticated criminal setup”. A modified Scorpio SUV with bulletproof shielding was seized. Items recovered by the police included four firearms, including a shotgun, two pistols and a revolver, 22 rounds of live ammunition of various calibers, cash worth Rs 19.78 lakh, 916 grams of gold, 940 grams of silver, 13 luxury wristwatches, 27 mobile phones and two laptops allegedly used for betting operations. A vehicle, besides the bulletproof car, was also seized.