Berhampur, July 30: Berhampur police have intensified their crackdown on an alleged IPL betting network after arresting another accused linked to the racket. The latest arrest came during the investigation into an IPL betting case registered by Baidyanathpur Police on April 30, exposing fresh links in the city's growing illegal betting network.

The accused, identified as Manoj Behera of Gaigotha Padia in Lanjipalli, was arrested and produced before a local court, Berhampur SP Dr. Saravana Vivek M. said in a press release. Police seized two mobile phones from his possession and have initiated the process of examining his bank accounts. Authorities have also written to the concerned bank seeking to freeze the accounts pending investigation.

Earlier, police had arrested Shubham Pradhan (21) of Nehru Nagar under Gosaninugaon police limits in connection with the same case. During the investigation, officers recovered two expensive mobile phones and uncovered ₹7.37 lakh in one bank account allegedly used for betting operations. Another account contained ₹12.86 lakh reportedly deposited by around 70 bettors. Police froze a total of ₹20.23 lakh and sent the seized mobile phones for forensic examination.

Investigators later found evidence linking Manoj Behera with Shubham Pradhan, leading to his arrest. Police suspect that several more bookmakers are involved in the racket and have placed them under surveillance as the probe continues.

According to investigators, Berhampur has emerged as a major hub for IPL betting activities. The latest developments come after Puri Police busted one of Odisha's biggest IPL betting syndicates on April 28. During that operation, police arrested Krishna Prasad Tripathy alias "Situ", the alleged kingpin of the Namaste Group, which is suspected of operating a large-scale betting network across the state.

Police investigations revealed transactions worth crores of rupees in Tripathy's bank accounts. He was later produced before a court, and investigators are now examining his alleged links with betting operators in Berhampur, Ganjam district, and Bhubaneswar. Authorities also suspect that the syndicate's mastermind is operating from West Bengal.

Police said arrests made by Baidyanathpur, Bada Bazar, Town, and Gosaninugaon police stations indicate that the IPL betting network has spread across multiple parts of Berhampur. The investigation is ongoing to identify the remaining members of the racket and dismantle the wider betting syndicate.