These men work for the biggest bookies in Delhi. And this is their latest strategy to avoid the police. "Unless we stop and check each and every car, the betters will give us the slip," agrees a traffic policeman.

The crime branch has a list of the top 50 bookies operating from in and around Delhi. But they can't nail them. Some are absconding, others always keep their trail clean, and the one or two who have landed in the police net have walked out free within a short time.

In 1997, the police had arrested a big bookie, Deepak Rajouri, from Rajouri Garden in west Delhi. He was behind bars for over three months because he was "caught with sufficient evidence".

When thepolice questioned him, he sang. He revealed some names, investigators found some more and compiled a list of 50 persons. Rajouri also explained the modus operandi of satta operators and listed areas of operation. But, after his release, he went and sang before other members of his business. Things started changing quickly.

"Then they used telephones and chits to send messages about the latest stakes, now they use cellphones. And even travel non-stop in cars. It's big business, it doesn't matter if they burn some fuel in the bargain," says a police officer, who was with the Crime Branch till last year.

According to the list available with the Crime Branch there is a bookie called Anil Aggrawal alias Pole. Aggarwal used to live in Roop Nagar till two years ago, when he suddenly sold off his properties. Now, no one knows where he is, but he is still called the satta king of Delhi.

Then there is Hans Kumar from Kamla Nagar in north Delhi. He was arrested once, in 1996 during a raid when an India-Australiamatch was on. Three of his associates were also caught. But all of them are now out on bail.Sanjeev Budhiraja, Pradeep Karbari from Karol Bagh, Nirmala Bhattal from Kailash Colony - the only woman in the business - J P Manachanda...and the list goes on. "Everyone knows they are satta operators. Everyone also knows that some policemen are involved. But no has any evidence against them. We have to catch them red-handed," adds another Delhi police officer.

He explains that special cellphones area kept aside for satta operations, and these are switched on only when cricket matches are on. Identifying the numbers are not easy, because the bookies and their assistants "follow a security system". Every new gambler is screened and he is never given direct access to the inside circle.

For the time-being, at least as long as the cricket world cup is on, policemen are keeping a watch on areas like Model Town, Kmala Nagar, Subzi Mandi, Sadar Bazaar, Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh, Rajouri Garden and Kailash Colony. Andsome moving cars. "We could be lucky, anytime," says a police officer in Connaught Place.