Hooghly fake lottery racket busted, 5 arrested, thousands of counterfeit tickets seized

A major counterfeit lottery racket was uncovered in Dankuni, where five individuals were arrested, and thousands of fake lottery tickets were seized. Acting on a tip-off from confidential sources, the police raided a warehouse in the Pardankuni area of Ward No. 2 under Dankuni Municipality, where illegal printing operations were being conducted under the name of "AB Enterprise." The company had rented the space for book printing but was secretly producing counterfeit lottery tickets. During the raid, officers found thousands of unfinished lottery tickets without printed numbers, raising suspicions that the numbering was done at a separate location.

According to police officials, the accused had been operating the illegal business for several months, misleading unsuspecting buyers who unknowingly purchased counterfeit tickets. The five arrested individuals were presented before the Shrirampur court, which ordered two into police custody while three were remanded to judicial custody. Authorities are investigating whether the operation has links to a larger network and are working to identify other individuals involved. A senior police officer stated, “The seized tickets did not have numbers, which indicates that the final touches were likely being done elsewhere. Further investigations are ongoing.”

Political tensions have escalated following the bust, with opposition leaders alleging that the racket was running with the support of influential figures. Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies are focusing on tracing the financial trail and determining how far the counterfeit tickets had been distributed. Investigators are also verifying whether similar operations are being conducted elsewhere under different business names. Further arrests may follow as authorities expand their probe into the case.