National Police operation in Malaga seizes 88,000 illegal lottery tickets

A total of 88,000 illegal lottery tickets were confiscated during a raid by National Police officers in Malaga.

As reported in a statement from the Junta de Andalucia this Friday, April 14, officers belonging to Malaga National Police force carried out an operation which culminated in the seizure of 88,000 illegal lottery tickets in the capital city.

An investigation was launched last February by officers attached to the Gaming and Public Entertainment Department. These are policemen who specialise in the control and inspection of illegal gambling and betting activities.

They became aware of the existence in the area of Calle Cádiz-El Torcal de Málaga, of a point of marketing, distribution, sale, and collection of the lottery popularly known as ‘la Rápida’, as reported by 101tv.es.

Various surveillance operations were established around the point, with the aim of confirming that this illegal activity was taking place. It also served to identify the sellers and their possible involvement with an organisation dedicated to its commercialisation.

The investigations culminated at the end of March, when, after setting up the relevant police operation, they proceeded to search a commercial premises used as a distribution and collection centre for the illegal lottery. It was located on the ground floor of a building in the Barriada El Cortijuelo, near Campanillas, from where the gang centralised all their activities.

During the police raids, the officers identified the alleged organiser of the scheme, who also acted as a collector and distributor of the tickets to the sellers that the organisation had distributed throughout the city.

In addition to the 88,000 illegal tickets, they seized €445 in cash, 880 new and used self-copying matrix chequebooks, two envelopes with prize cut-outs and the results of draws carried out. The investigators also confiscated various documents with betting notes and a folder with various sheets of paper logging the betting numbers of regular customers.

From the study of the documents and money seized during the operation – which corresponded to the sale of tickets in a single day – the officers determined that the total gross revenue of this illegal organisation amounted to a minimum of €250,000 annually.

It was verified that the organisation was made up of a total of nine members, who had a hierarchical structure. This comprised of a ringleader, a collector, and at least seven salesmen who obtained a commission of 20 per cent of the proceeds from the sales.

The Gambling and Public Entertainment Service of the Government Delegation in Malaga has been informed of all the actions taken in order to process the appropriate disciplinary proceedings.