Visakhapatnam: Nine persons, all from outside Andhra Pradesh, were taken into custody by police on Tuesday for running a gambling den and casino, and seized a computer and 16 mobile phones from their possession.

The visitors rented a house in the posh Kirlampudi Layout near the beach and were allegedly conducting online betting and gaming, besides other casino activities. They were said to lure others to the gambling den with the promise that investment in the casino would help reap huge profits.

On a tip off, police intensified patrolling in the area, identified the den, and took them into custody.