Malaysian officials are ready to curb illegal gambling

MIRI: In a move to curb illegal gambling, Sarawak police is urging local authorities to withdraw the licences of business premises that were doubling up as gambling dens.

Sarawak CID Chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Dev Kumar said the police are looking at a multi-pronged strategy to help wipe out the gambling menace in the state.

“We will work with the local councils in the state to achieve this objective.

“We will start recommending to the local authorities in the districts to review the business licences of those premises caught for illegal gambling and acting as fronts to facilitate illegal gambling,” he said.

SAC Dev said such premises that were found guilty of being involved in illegal gambling should have their business licences revoked and they should be blacklisted.

Meanwhile, three teenagers were among 59 people arrested in 41 successful anti-gambling raids conducted statewide over the past week, he said.

The teens, a 15-year-old boy and two 16-year-old girls, are school dropouts believed to be hired to man the counters of gambling dens.

Police also seized some RM20,000 in cash, dozens of handphones, laptops, tablets and desktop computers and other items from these gambling dens from Kuching to Miri.