Kerala police form squads to crack down on single-digit lottery

Kerala police have created special squads for flash inspections to curb illegal single-digit lottery trade in Kozhikode district. The move follows confidential reports from the State Lottery Department and complaints from licensed agents about growing unregulated lottery activities. One squad led by Thamarassery Deputy SP Chandramohan raided two shops at Ambayathode, seizing Rs 23,020 and several mobile phones used for coordinating transactions. The devices will undergo forensic analysis.

Lottery department officials said the illegal operations drain revenue from legal sales and expose the public to fraud with no remedy. The single-digit lottery is a gambling practice where participants bet on numbers 0-9, with all transactions evading taxes through informal networks and digital platforms. A senior police officer at Thamarassery said more squads will join field inspections in suspected locations in coming weeks to dismantle the network. Lottery traders have been asked to report suspicious activity.