Ducky bhai bail plea rejected again in Betting app case

LAHORE: Pakistani YouTuber Saad-ur-Rehman, aka Ducky Bhai, was behind bars as an investigation into an illegal gambling case is going on amid a nationwide crackdown by the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency.

Lahore district and sessions court dismissed the bail petition of Ducky Bhai in a case related to illegal gambling apps. The court listened to the arguments of both sides before rejecting his application.

The special prosecutor and prosecution informed the court that Ducky Bhai is a nominated suspect in the case and that a lot of evidence is present against him. The investigation, they said, started after a credible source report indicated his alleged role in advertising unlicensed forex platforms and gambling.

The authorities pointed out that there has never been any registration of any forex or gambling app by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), but Ducky Bhai purportedly utilized his YouTube account to promote those apps, asking the masses to invest in them.

The FIA also found Rs160 million in one account and Rs50 million in another, which he could not account for. The prosecutor warned that the funds “could have been used for illegal financing.”

During the hearing, the court asked about the status of the popular app “Binomo.” A representative of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) confirmed that access to Binomo has been blocked in Pakistan, though several other apps remain operational. The prosecutor further stated that Ducky Bhai’s mobile phones are in custody, but investigators have been unable to access them due to face-lock security.

The case against Ducky alleged that he used his YouTube channel to entice citizens into investing in the apps, causing huge financial losses. It also alleges that he was the Pakistan country manager for Binomo without the government’s authorization.

NCCIA announced 46 applications, including Binomo, illegal in Pakistan on grounds of unregulated forex trading and gambling activities, and concerns over the spread of such apps and their harm to unsuspecting investors.

The highly publicized case made the headlines across the country and initiated discussions on social media influencer responsibility and the ever-increasing menace of illegal online gambling in Pakistan.