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MIRI – Police in Kuching have arrested a group of youths, including a 13-year-old teenager, following a crackdown on an online gambling syndicate.
Kuching police chief Ahsmon Bajah said police raided a house which was used as a gambling centre during an operation earlier this week.
Ahsmon said a total of nine Indonesian male and female youths, aged 13 to 25, were arrested in the raid.
In a statement today, Ahsmon said the raid was carried out in a housing area along Rock Road in the city centre.
“We carried out the raid after conducting intelligence gathering and detailed surveillance,” Ahsmon said.
“The house was being used by a syndicate to carry out their illegal online gambling.”
He added that initial investigations revealed that the online gambling ring earned about RM2,000 a day.
Police also seized computers, records, handphones, and other devices used in the centre, he said.
Ahsmon said the police are still tracking down the “mastermind” behind the syndicate.
The latest arrests follow several successful busts on online gambling syndicates since early this year.
In January, police carried out three separate raids in Kuching, and found the syndicates earning as much as RM810,000 over a three-month period.
The suspects promoted their online gaming activities using social media and mobile devices, Ahsmon said.
He added that computers, handphones, record books, and other items were also seized in the earlier raids, adding that those arrested are also being investigated for illegal gambling.
Ahsmon also advised the public to stay away from such illegal activities and to file reports to the police if they had any information on illicit gambling. – The Vibes, May 26, 2022