A man surnamed Zhao stole 2,000 instant lottery tickets with a retail value of 25,000 yuan ($4,007) but only won 1,000 yuan with them. Xicheng district police arrested him as he tried to claim his cash prize, the Beijing Evening News reported.

A lottery shop owner on Guang'anmennei Dajie in Xicheng district reported a loss of 2,000 instant lottery tickets on March 29. Investigators  contacted the lottery center, asking them for assistance in tracing the lost tickets. As expected, the thief attempted to redeem his winning tickets; the lottery center notified Xicheng police immediately.

Zhao had 296 lottery tickets with him when he was caught. He was placed in criminal detention; his case is pending.