Operators shifting cyber gambling activity to houses
Published on: Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: Cyber gambling operators have changed their modus operandi by conducting the illegal activity at residential and housing parks here to avoid police detection.City Police Chief ACP M. Chandra, who disclosed this, said the change of pattern was detected when police received a tip-off and thereafter raided two housing parks in Luyang last week.Normally, he said, the operators would carry out their cyber gambling activities in commercial shoplots. "The cyber gambling operators and the caretakers only allow certain people through direct contact to patronise their premises – in these cases two houses rented by the main operators.
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"In addition, the customers come in groups to engage in the cyber gambling and the premises were open from noon until night time and even at dawn," he said.Chandra said this to reporters after receiving a mock key to a police beat base at Imago shopping mall here from Asian Pac Holdings Berhad Group Executive Director and CEO, Dr Yu Tat Loong, Tuesday.He called on the public to continue giving full support to the police in combating cyber gambling here that is related to other crimes like snatch theft and robbery."When the patrons lose a lot of money in cyber gambling, some would resort to committing crime like snatch theft based on our investigation of such cases so that they could gamble again at the same premises.
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"Hence, it is imperative for the public to work with us by informing us about suspicious activities going on in their respective housing parks so that this unhealthy activity can be foiled and stopped," he said.Last week, Chandra said a total of 14 people, including a 50-year-old primary school teacher who was the organiser, four caretakers and nine patrons aged between 33 and 59 were arrested for engaging in illegal gambling activities in separate raids under "Ops Dadu" from March 15 to 22.
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Chandra said police also seized 15 sets of computers, two modems and RM460 in the raids."In the first raid, a caretaker and five players were apprehended in a double-storey house at Taman Faber at 1.50am on March 15. We confiscated eight sets of computers, a modem and RM110."Two days later, we arrested the 50-year-old Chinese man who is a primary school teacher here at Bandaran Berjaya and our investigation revealed that he had been active in the illegal gambling activity for the past two months," he said.On March 22, Chandra said another cyber gambling premises at a rented house in Taman Kinamount was also raided at 3.50am, leading to the arrest of two caretakers believed to be a 38-year-old husband and his 25-year-old wife.He said police seized seven sets of computers, a modem and RM350. To a question, he said, the organiser of the illegal gambling who rented the house was still at large and efforts are ongoing to look for him.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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