IGP: More than 22,000 detained, RM3.73mil seized in gambling raids nationwide

Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun. -filepic

KUALA LUMPUR: More than 22,000 people have been arrested in connection with illegal gambling activities nationwide.

Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said that this year, police had conducted 12,449 raids on illegal gambling dens and unlicensed lottery syndicates, which led to 22,300 arrests.

"These numbers show a decrease compared to 12,628 raids and 24,338 arrests last year.

"Though those numbers have decreased, cash seizures increased from RM3.73mil last year to RM4.67mil this year," he said in a statement on Wednesday (Sept 12).

He added that money seized from unlicensed lottery syndicates this year alone was RM1.47mil.

Mohamad Fuzi also said police had seized 25,267 mobile phones, tablets, simulators and computers used in illegal gambling this year, compared to 65,465 devices seized last year.

"Our records show that the states with the highest numbers of successful raids nationwide are Johor (2,719), Selangor (2,372), Sarawak (1,617), Negri Sembilan (1,156), Kedah (945) and Penang (863).

"Based on these numbers we will focus our efforts in these six states," he said.

He added that since special hotlines had been set up at each state to gather information on illegal gambling activities, police had received 716 tip-offs.

"We managed to launch 414 successful raids, due to the information gathered while another 141 tip-offs were being developed further.

"He added that police checks revealed 161 of the tip-offs were false," he said.

Mohamad Fuzi also said that since 2014 police have detained 117 subjects for running illegal gambling syndicates nationwide under the Prevention of Crime Act (Poca).

He said that statistics showed that 33 were detained this year compared to 34 detained in 2017.

Mohamad Fuzi also warned police officers and rank and file personnel that the top brass at Bukit Aman was monitoring them.

"Stern action will be taken against any officer, including OCPDs and state police chiefs who do not dispense their duties effectively," he said.