Cuttack:As many as 80 people was arrested and more than Rs 30 lakh was seized in cash after police launched a crackdown on a gambling den at Laddharan in Nuapada district of Odisha. The area which falls near the Chhattisgarh border has been witnessing a rise in gambling activites for quite some time and cops faced challege in handling anti-social elements associated with such dens.
Police also seized multiple cars and bikes in the raid. The police seized a huge amount of cash around 30 lakhs, 25 cars, and more than 10 bikes, a police official from police headquarters from Cuttack said.
For the past few months, police was piecing together information to prepare for the operation. Sources were tapped and local people were mobilised to gather leads before launching the crackdown, he said.
According to police, gambling practices were found to be a regular occurence at a house near the Gochaya of Thelkobeda village. "A police team conducted by the armed police force under the guidance of Nuapada SP. As many as 80 people have been arrested in the raid. They are being interrogated and will be produced at a local court today," the official said.
Since this is a border area, the police also suspect the role of interstate gambling activities in this case. The investigation is continuing in that direction.