Punjab Police on Saturday launched a day-long operation across the state against people involved in illegal lottery and gambling.

The operation was carried out on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav, an official release said.

Special Director General of Police (law and order) Arpit Shukla said the operation was conducted across the state in a synchronised manner from 10 am to 3 pm.

All the commissioners and senior superintendents of police were asked to depute station house officers of each police station to raid and check people against whom more than two cases of the Gambling Act have been registered in the last five years, he said.

As many as 285 police teams, involving 1,500 police personnel, have raided over 500 premises allegedly involved in the illegal lottery and gambling, Shukla said.

At least 110 people involved in illegal lotteries and 434 people involved in gambling were checked during a day-long operation carried out in all 28 police districts in the state.

The Special DGP said police also registered 40 FIRs after recovering Rs 46,610 from their possession.

The intent of carrying out this operation was to keep a vigil on illegal lottery operators and gamblers. Such raids would continue further, he added.