News
End of the rainbow for two smalltime lottery ticket counterfeiters
The National Lotteries Board (NLB) directed Lottery ticket sellers to be more vigilant when handing out prize-money to winners, after a scam where forged lottery tickets bearing the winning numbers to obtain money fraudulently, came to light.
All fake: Forged lottery tickets and counterfeit notes. Pix by G.M. Rathnyake
The lottery agents have been instructed to note the National Identity Card (NIC) numbers and names of the winners, before handing over the prize-money, officials said. Lottery agents are authorised to pay Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,000 to those producing the winning tickets.
The two men allegedly involved in the scam which also involved the printing of Rs. 1,000 and Rs 2,000 counterfeit notes, in addition to the fake lottery tickets, were arrested in Galagedara and Asgiriya, Kandy.
It has been revealed that the suspects were regularly printing fake lottery tickets bearing numbers that have won amounts of Rs. 1,000 or less from the previous night’s draw and claiming their winnings from lottery sellers in far flung areas such as Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.
The men confessed to visiting rural areas to “claim their prize-money” of small amounts, so as not to attract undue attention.
The team behind the arrest
A team of Special Task Force officers headed by OIC of Galagedara Police, B.M.A. Dissanayake, arrested the suspects following investigations on a tip-off received a month ago.
The main suspect, Ruwan Kumara, a Samurdhi officer living on Sri Sumangala Mawatha, Asgiriya, was arrested with his accomplice, Ranthilaka, from Walpolayaya, Galagedara.
The were operating from a communication centre on the Galagedara-Pethigewela Road.
Twenty counterfeit notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs. 2,000, denomination 50 private NICs, printing paper, about 1,000 photographs, two passports, driving licences, false documents along with a quantity of rubber seals, computers, scanners, pen drives and CDs used in printing, found in their possession were also seized by the Police.
The arrests were led by Kandy Division SSP Gamini Ellepola and ASP Galagedara, S.B. Ratnayake.