91 held in 33 raids for illegal gambling

KUCHING – Malaysia: Police in the state carried out 33 raids against illegal gambling activities over the past week, arresting 91 individuals in the process.

State CID chief Datuk Dev Kumar said the raids were carried out between Feb 12 to Feb 18 in Kuching (7), Miri (7), Bintulu (3), Sibu (2), Padawan (2), Bau (2), Simunjan (3), Sarikei (2), and one each in Kota Samarahan, Betong, Serian, Dalat and Sri Aman.

He said efforts to eradicate online gambling continued with raids at 24-hour convenience stores and coffee shops that offer reload services to online gamblers, with five raids conducted in Kuching, Bintulu, Sri Aman and Betong.

“A total of nine online reload service providers were arrested over the past week, with nine mobile phones and RM534 seized in the process,” he said in a statement issued here yesterday.

In the fight to eradicate illegal lottery activities, Dev Kumar said 18 raids were carried out last week in seven districts, with 18 arrested and RM7,442 seized along with related paraphernalia.

From the total number of arrests, he said 34 individuals were nabbed in Miri, Sarikei, Sibu, Serian and Bau for playing ‘Holo’, while another 30 were caught at cock-fighting pits in Sebuyau, Miri and Kota Samarahan.

“Of the 91 persons arrested, 80 are men. The ages of those arrested range from 19 to 70 years.

“All are currently being investigated for offences under the Common Gaming House Act 1953 and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance 1952,” he said.