Kathmandu, August 17

Police raided three different places in Kathmandu and arrested 24 persons for their alleged involvement in illegal gambling yesterday.

Seven persons were held from a Kapan-based dairy store run by Badri Prasad Sapkota of Kavre. Police arrested six persons from an eatery operated by Niraj Rai of Khotang.

Similarly, 11 persons, including Druba Bahadur Karki were held from Muhan Pokhari of Budhanilkantha. Cash amounting to Rs 48,860 and gambling materials were confiscated from these gambling dens.

Six persons were held from an eatery run by Mina Lama in Jorpati of Gokarneshwor Municipality-5, on Thursday.

In another raid, police rounded up five persons from Bouddha-based Himalayan Sherpa Kitchen, a restaurant.

They seized Rs 21,940 and cards from the gambling den.

Of late, police have stepped up crackdown on gambling, which is punishable under existing laws.

Rani Pokhari-based Metropolitan Police Office, which oversees security of Kathmandu valley, said as many as 164 gambling dens were dismantled and 324 persons were arrested in the past four months since mid-April.

Police also confiscated around Rs 8.2 million in cash and a huge cache of gambling materials from the gambling berths.

After police intensified vigilance on casinos to curb the entry of Nepali gamblers there, the number of people visiting casinos has decreased.

The law bars Nepali citizens from entering casinos for gambling.

However, casino frequenters have now switched to gambling dens and converted hotels, restaurants, eateries, auto workshops, pubs, bars and private offices and houses into gambling spots, said Senior Superintendent of Police ShyamLalGyawali, MPO spokesperson.

All metropolitan police ranges, circles and sectors have formed anti-gambling squads in their concerned areas to swing into action whenever they receive a tip-off.

Neighbours, wives and family members of the gamblers are among the key informants, who tip off local police about these gambling dens.

Retired government employees, businesspersons and contractors top the list of gamblers.

Gamblers are booked under Gambling Act-1963, which officials say is not stringent enough to deter seasoned gamblers and operators of gambling dens as they easily get off the hook by paying a meagre fine of Rs 200 and four-day police custody the first that they get caught.

According to police, gambling and crime are interlinked. Crimes are also likely to occur at gambling venues over betting. It is also one of the reasons of domestic violence. Gambling is all-pervasive during major festivals such as Dashain and Tihar.