GEORGE TOWN: Police busted an online gambling syndicate after nabbing 23 workers in a raid on two luxury condominiums here, last Friday.
Penang police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said acting on information and intelligence, police raided the first condominium at Persiaran Gurney, here, at 5.25 pm and detained 10 men and three women, all aged between 19 and 31.
“Police then raided another luxury condominium in Jalan Kelawei, here, and arrested nine men and a woman aged between 16 and 27. A total of 85 handphones of various brands, 18 laptops, eight desktop computers, 49 SIM cards as well as two Honda cars were seized.
“The syndicate is believed to have recruited local youngsters with good computer knowledge. Most of them (workers) had been working with the syndicate for barely a week to a month and were promised salaries of between RM1,500 and RM2,000,“ he told a press conference, here, today.
He said investigations also found that the syndicate used a new modus operandi where the syndicate ran a daily lottery and managed the betting without involving third parties.
“We are working together with the Bukit Aman police to investigate whether the same syndicate is also operating in other areas using a new modus operandi, that is luring customers through social media including Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram before sharing links to offer gambling services,“ he added. — Bernama