Staff Reporter The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has registered a case against five bookies with Indian connections via Dubai as it cracks down on bribing cricketers for spot-fixing in the Pakistan Super League. According to FIA sources, FIR No 4/2020 has been registered in the Commercial Banking Circle, Karachi, booking the men under Section ¾ of the Anti-money Laundering Act. According to FIA officials, a few days ago law-enforcement agencies intercepted calls and text messages exchanged between a former national team cricketer and a Lahore bookie by the name of Armaghan Sheikh. Sheikh has connections with another Lahore bookie, Ayub, and this connection goes to Dubai and India-based individuals involved in spot-fixing. According to sources, the former national team player has said that he was offered Rs50 million for spot-fixing in different matches, which he accepted. The player has already been suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board. Sources added that the suspicion is that Indian bookies were using Pakistan-based bookies to lure cricketers in an attempt to malign the reputation of the country’s domestic T20 tournament, seen across the border as a rival to the Indian Premier League. Those nominated in the police report include Faisal alias Chitta, Mahinder, KG, Jani, Bafela and Jabbar. Of those, Mahinder, KG and Jani have been arrested so far.
