Police Arrest 282 in Nationwide Illegal Gambling Crackdown

Police arrested 282 people and raided 201 premises in a two-day nationwide illegal gambling crackdown, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk M. Kumar said on Monday (Nov 2).

The operation, codenamed Ops Dadu Khas, ran from Saturday (Oct 31) to Sunday (Nov 1) across the country, including Sabah and Sarawak. It targeted online gambling and unlicensed public lottery operations, and police also seized RM32,149 in cash.

Illegal gambling crackdown in 201 raids

Speaking at a press conference at Menara 2 Bukit Aman, Kumar said 108 of the premises raided were linked to online gambling, while 93 involved unlicensed public lottery operations.

Those arrested, aged between 20 and 65, were 229 men and 53 women. Malay Mail reported that 223 of them were Malaysians and 59 were foreigners from Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh who had been employed by local syndicates. According to Bernama, as carried by theSun, the nationalities were based on preliminary identity checks and are subject to further verification.

Police also seized tablets, mobile phones, mobile printers and other electronic devices. All those arrested have been remanded for between one and four days.

Syndicates move between premises

Kumar said preliminary investigations had identified two syndicates, Winbox and Alibaba, and police were working to track down their leaders.

He said the syndicates shifted between premises to avoid detection, using cafes, beverage outlets and sundry shops as fronts.

The suspects are being investigated under Sections 4A(a), 4B(a) and 4(1)(c) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, while some of the foreign suspects are also being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63. Kumar said offences under the gaming law could also serve as predicate offences for money-laundering investigations under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.

According to Bernama, Kumar said those convicted under Section 4A(a), which covers assisting in the operation of a public lottery, face a fine of between RM20,000 and RM200,000 and up to five years in prison.

Electricity cut-off recommended

Once investigations are complete, police will recommend that electricity supplies to all 201 premises be disconnected under Section 21A of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, Kumar said. Police will also recommend enforcement action to local authorities when sufficient evidence has been gathered.

He said enforcement against unlicensed gambling would be stepped up together with local authorities and other agencies, and urged the public to continue providing information to the police.

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