KOHAT, March 20: With police playing the role of a silent spectator, Internet cafes and public call offices in

Kohat are fast turning into gambling dens, magnetising the youth in particular.

A man from Jand in Attock district is the incharge of such gambling dens in Kohat. Located to the left of the river Indus, Jand serves as a boundary between the NWFP and Punjab.

A few croupiers arrested, and released, recently told police that their ringleader sat somewhere in Rawalpindi from where he controlled the illicit business in other provinces through Internet.

With betting on motorbike stunts and use of hashish already common among the youth in the city, these new high-tech gambling dens are adding to the worries of the parents.

According to reports, 26 net cafes and some public call offices in the city are involved in the organised crime.

The amount with which one can start betting is Rs10 with no upper limit. Numbers are chosen from a sheet displayed on the monitor. For example, if someone buys a set of first two numbers as 5 and 4 and the result remains same after computerised shuffling, he gets the amount he has settled with the croupier for the match.

Against Rs10 per set, the amount won may range from Rs100 to Rs15,000 per game. The money saved by the croupier is deposited with the local head, who deducts his commission and passes on the remaining amount to the ringleader in Rawalpindi.

Besides, the ever-increasing number of heavy motorbikes on roads and streets has also become a big nuisance for citizens. A matter of concern is not just the deafening sound these bikes create or the risk they pose to the pedestrians due to their breakneck speed. It is, in fact, the increasing involvement of the youth in betting through these two-wheelers which is more of a worry. Young men bet on performing dangerous stunts and winning races.

A survey by this correspondent revealed that the money at stake on races and stunts ranges from Rs5,000 to Rs100,000. Sometimes, the loser is even deprived of his motorcycle.

Number plates of all such motorcycles carry the letters AFR, i.e. applied for registration.

However, some strict action by traffic police, of late, has brought about a bit of respite.

The fondness of the youth with new and expensive mobile phones is also turning into a social problem, costing the parents dearly. Given this temptation among the youth, a number of shops dealing in new and used mobile phones have been opened at places in city.

Mobile dealers attract the youth offering buyback of used sets with deduction in price. Old sets, including those used for a few hours, are bought back or exchanged at these mobile outlets, with the cellphone lovers losing huge amounts.

Most of the cellphone lovers, attracted by new models and attractive features, are aged between 15 and 25 years.

Once the packing of a cellphone is opened, it loses its worth by 25 per cent. Even if a phone is purchased only hours ago, it will be bought back by a mobile dealer for 75 per cent of its original value. A cellphone used for a month and having its warranty intact is taken back on half the market price. And a cellphone having undergone repair only fetches 25 per cent of the market prices.

The shopkeepers sell these old cellphones on market price after changing their cover – available in the market for just Rs50 – and putting fake seals on their battery.