Coimbatore, Jan 7 (AHN) Despite heightened surveillance along the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, the illegal smuggling and sale of banned Kerala lottery tickets continue unabated in Coimbatore district, raising serious concerns for law enforcement agencies.

Police data reveal that in 2025 alone, the Coimbatore district police seized 37,406 banned lottery tickets with an estimated value of Rs 14.87 lakh. During the same year, 691 cases were registered under the Tamil Nadu Lottery Regulation Act.

As part of enforcement operations, 723 individuals involved in the illegal sale of Kerala lottery tickets were arrested by the Coimbatore rural police, and Rs 6.04 lakh in cash was confiscated. The trend shows a sharp escalation when compared to the previous year. In 2024, police seized 62,791 banned lottery tickets and recovered a staggering Rs 2.25 crore in cash, underlining the scale of the illegal network operating across the border.

One of the most significant crackdowns took place on December 24, 2024, when Karumathampatti police searched the residence of Nagaraj, 42, at Balaji Nagar in Karumathampatti. The raid led to the seizure of 1,900 banned Kerala lottery tickets and Rs 2 crore in cash. Notably, over Rs 2 lakh of the seized amount was in Rs 2,000 denomination notes. Nagaraj, who was arrested following the raid, worked as a cashier in a lottery shop at Walayar in Kerala’s Palakkad district and was allegedly supplying tickets across Coimbatore and Tirupur districts.

Police officials have classified those involved in the illegal lottery trade into four categories -- retailers, agents, dealers, and kingpins -- with enforcement efforts primarily targeting agents and dealers who handle large volumes. However, officials have clarified that retailers are not exempt from action and remain under close watch.

Given Coimbatore’s proximity to the Kerala border, frequent cross-border movement has facilitated the smuggling of lottery tickets. Some individuals reportedly travel to Kerala solely to procure tickets for illegal resale in Tamil Nadu. To curb this, district police conducted special district-wide raids on December 8 and December 31, 2025, across all six subdivisions.

These operations resulted in the seizure of 2,663 lottery tickets, Rs 26,000 in cash, and 11 mobile phones, with 60 cases registered and 64 arrests made.

Senior police officials note that illegal lottery sales are particularly rampant in border regions such as Anaikatti and Meenatchipuram, as well as rural pockets including Perur, Peryianaickenpalayam, and Valparai. There have also been instances where buyers, promised prize amounts ranging from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000, were cheated.

Many victims refrain from approaching the police, fearing legal consequences, as both the sale and purchase of lottery tickets are prohibited in Tamil Nadu. Authorities have indicated that further targeted drives are being planned to dismantle the illegal lottery network operating in and around Coimbatore.