About 50 Illegal Lotto Operators known in local circles as 'Banker-to-Banker' in the Kumasi metropolis are in deep waters after being grabbed by the police over the weekend. The suspects including both men and women are made up lotto writers, lotto stakers and operators of the illegal act who were picked up at places like Asawase, Krofrom, Ash Town, Tafo among others. They are currently languishing in various police cells in the Garden City, assist the suspects fell prey to a special programme christened 'Operation to Clamp Down Illegal Lotto Operators' which is being undertaken by the National Lotto Authority (NLA) in conjunction with the police. Ashanti Regional Auditor of the NLA, Atta Kofi Amoako told DAILY GUIDE his outfit decided to embark on the operation after they realized that the illegal lotto operators were not ready to quit working. "The NLA has since the beginning of the year been educating the general public especially Banker-to-Banker operators and people that patronize their services to stop doing so to avert having an issue with the law. "But my brother, despite the education by the NLA, reported cases of illegal lotto operators in the country especially Kumasi and its environs keep ascending as the days go by." The police swoop, Kofi Amoako indicated was to get rid of every unlawful act that is currently pertaining in the lotto industry in Ghana as enshrined in Act 722 Section 4. According to him despite Act 722 Section 4 stipulating that only the NLA could operate lotto in the country, some unscrupulous people were still adamant and were flouting the law. Highlighting on some of the bad deeds of the Banker-to-Banker operators, he said the country loses a lot of money as they do not pay any taxes. Aside this, he noted that such illegal operators unjustifiably pirate numbers drawn by the NLA drawn to run their businesses, saying that such an act is not permissible. On her part, the Ashanti Regional Manger of the NLA, Margaret Nortey said the police swoop would not be a nine-day wonder, warning that her outfit and the police would hunt down all illegal lotto operators across the region. She however extended an olive branch to the illegal lotto operators inviting them to come and register with the NLA which is the sole body mandated to operate such a business to avoid getting themselves into trouble. Source: Daily Guide