ALUVA: The police have arrested 12 people who were playing cards for money after renting a room in a hotel in the city. Rs 7.21 lakh were seized from them. The gambling gang was caught in the operation conducted by the police team led by Aluva SHO M Manjudas based on a tip-off received by District police chief Vivek Kumar.

Aluva native Ashokan (48), Idukki native Shamsudeen (36), Murali (56) at of Cherayi, Eldos (41) of Puthanpurakal house in Piravam, Piravom natives Biju (46) and Sreejith (31), Palarivattom native Ansar (45), Nedumbassery native Suresh (43), Thodupuzha native Shafiq (33), Prakashan (55), John Paul (28) and Firoz (36) were arrested by the police.

People from different parts of Ernakulam and Idukki districts arrived here for gambling. The group had appointed people on the roads to monitor whether the police were coming. A special police team of 10 officers arrived in groups and surrounded the hotel on April 11. Ashokan was the one who organized the game. The police said that he has been arrested earlier.