Palakkad: As a part of a statewide crackdown on unauthorised inter-state lotteries, police here on Saturday raided the office of Teesta Distributors and seized lotteries worth Rs 5 crore. They arrested MD of Mil Metha of Delhi and another employee, Gireesh, a resident of Ernakulam and detained two others. The predawn raid comes in the wake of state finance minister’s assertion that Mizoram lotteries would not be allowed and the agents selling them would not be allowed to sell Kerala lottery.
There were advertisements in newspapers that the sales of Mizoram tickets would commence on Monday and the draw would be conducted on August 7. Kasaba sub-inspector Rins Thomas said there were no licence and registration documents with the Teesta, and before registering a case, the state lottery director was consulted. The cops said investigations were being conducted into the owners of the distributing agency and they doubt the controversial lottery king Santiago Martin owns it. Inter-state lotteries were banned in Kerala in 2010.
