All you need is a telephone and a television set. Police raids on betting hideouts have never thrown up hard cash but only documents. The documents seized reveal how business is done. Odds change every now and then, a couple of quick wickets or a rash of boundaries can tilt the scales. Payment is made according to the odds at the time of placing a bet.
Some bookies take advantage of the call transfer facility.
A number can have several call transfer locations. We recently got to know of a number used by a bookie and traced it to the Chembur suburb but found nothing fishy at that flat. Finally we raided a house in Chunabhatti, where the call was being transferred,'' said Shirish. A Crime Branch officer said Dawood's foray into betting lent credence to the allegation that players were bought during tournaments in the Gulf. Interestingly, the amounts involved are much higher in such tournaments than in big ones like the World Cup, where the players play for honour.