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It was through the call records of gang members of Tiger Memon, a close aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, that Delhi Police first stumbled upon the plan for spot fixing Indian Premier League matches. The detailed three-month-long surveillance between the gang members and the bookies led three IPL players, including India pacer S. Sreesanth, into the police net.
Police sources said they were tapping the phone calls of the gang members of Tiger Memon, who is said to be in Dubai, and the bookies since March 2013.
According to the official, police said the money was transacted through "hawala" and the chain is yet to be investigated.
The money which was given to the players had come from overseas, police said.
"The bookies who are involved in the hawala racket operate at many levels. The nexus is very big. We are trying to track it," another officer told IANS.
Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar Thursday said they had information that Mumbai underworld is indulging in match-fixing or spot-fixing and have contacted a number of bookies and some players. Mumbai players had hinted at Pakistan connection behind the sordid saga.
Three team members of Rajasthan Royals -- S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan -- and 11 bookies were arrested by Delhi Police's special cell late Wednesday night following raids in Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
The top cop also said the suspects were kept under watch since April and it was found that match-fixers and bookies from Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Punjab were involved. He said these bookies had then roped in some players participating in IPL.
