The Coimbatore District (Rural) Police have launched a special drive to curb circulation of Kerala State lotteries, sale of which is illegal in Tamil Nadu.
Sujit Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Coimbatore Rural, has instructed Deputy Superintendents of Police in all the five sub-divisions in rural limits to arrest those who engage in the sale of Kerala lotteries and produce them before court for remand in judicial custody.
The rural police conducted special drives for three days from May 28 and arrested 53 persons, who sold Kerala lotteries in the five sub-divisions namely Valparai, Pollachi, Perur, Perianaickenpalayam and Karumathampatti.
The police seized 1,145 lotteries, five bill books and ₹39,185 from sellers.
All the arrested persons were produced before court and remanded in judicial custody. Earlier, the police used to grant them station bail and the offenders would continue the trade.
The highest number of 500 lotteries were seized from Pollachi sub-division on May 28.
Despite enforcement activities, the sale of Kerala lotteries thrived in Coimbatore rural as places coming the sub-divisions share boundary with Kerala.
According to the police, Kerala lotteries find their way to Coimbatore via Meenakshipuram near Pollachi, Valparai, Walayar and Anaikatti due to the proximity of these places to the neighbouring State.
“The sellers were maintaining photocopies of the results of the lottery draws. They used to sell tickets to the regular buyers as attempt to sell tickets in the open would land them in trouble,” said a police officer.
The sellers also admitted to the police that they were involved in the illegal sale of lotteries as it was a profitable business.
A ticket which costs ₹ 20 in Kerala is sold at a price ranging between ₹ 25 and ₹ 35 in Coimbatore.