Man arrested for alleged single-digit lottery trade

The Panniyankara police on Wednesday (September 3, 2025) arrested a 54-year-old man who was allegedly part of an illegal single-digit lottery business in the city. The accused, Mannadathuparamba Musthafa, was caught red-handed from Chakkumkadavu following a tip-off received by Inspector Satheesh Kumar.

The police squad also recovered a mobile phone that he reportedly used to operate the business, liquid cash to the tune of ₹5,450, and a few paper lots carrying single digits. Details of discreet online transactions done for single-digit lottery sales were also recovered from him.

According to the police, single-digit lottery agents prefixed a single-digit number on payment and announced the prize based on the Kerala government’s lottery results on a regular basis. “Some traders have been found giving options to prefix double or triple digits to flourish in the parallel lottery business,” they said.

“We are proceeding with stringent action against parallel lottery sales as they largely target financially backward buyers and encourage gambling,” said a senior police officer at the Panniyankara station. He added that a few agents were even found projecting details of winners and the prize money to canvas more buyers and flourish in the illegal trade. 

The Lottery department had also sought stern action against the invisible men behind single-digit lotteries. The police said they had conducted flash inspections in several suspected spots. Three years ago, they said, they could nab three persons from Panniyankara with cash worth ₹3.22 lakh mobilised through the illegal business.