KARACHI: Police’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU) on Thursday claimed to have arrested a “famous” bookie/gambler over charges of match fixing for ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL), SSP SIU retired Capt Haider Raza said.

The senior officer added that the arrest was the outcome of a recent meeting between law enforcement agencies and officials of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to curb such practice during ongoing matches of PSL being held at National Stadium Karachi.

According to the SIU statement, in continuation of action against match fixers/bookies and gamblers in follow-up of a meeting held on Feb 18 between PCB officials and members of law enforcement, the SIU received confidential information that a person was gambling on ongoing PSL-6 cricket matches and was present in an under-construction building in Bahadurabad.

On the tip-off, SIU immediately responded and arrested Mubeen alias Dhoraji with recovery of gambling articles and 1,050 grammes narcotics.

The held suspect disclosed that his father Arif Ismail alias Dhoraji was a “famous bookie of Karachi” and due to health issues of his father, he is running the setup since the last one year.

Not only was he himself gambling on PSL matches but he was also running a network of bookies.

He also told the police that there were several members of his network who connect bookies from Karachi, Lahore and other cities through mobile phone with him.

The police claimed to have recovered four mobile phones, a laptop, an adaptor and a keyboard from his custody.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2021