Cops bust online gambling syndicate in Johor Baru, eight arrested during raid

JOHOR BARU: Police have busted an online gambling syndicate, which had raked in more than RM600,000 from gamblers, with the arrest of eight local suspects including four women, here.

Iskandar Puteri OCPD Asst Comm Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said following information, police raided a house in Bukit Indah here for allegedly carrying out a calling centre for online gambling activities at around 5.30pm on Monday (Sept 20).

He added that the suspects were between the ages of 17 and 30 years old.

"Initial investigations found that the syndicate had been operating at the house for about two months where they targeted customers from around Malaysia.

"They carried out their operations 24-hours daily where they divided the working hours into two shifts," he said here on Tuesday (Sept 21).

ACP Dzulkhairi added that all payments made by their customers were through 12 local bank accounts.

"They were able to collect more than RM10,000 daily and the suspects admitted that they were paid RM2,000 a month on top of the 20% they received on the customers they found," he said, adding that their salaries were paid in cash by a local man.

ACP Dzulkhairi said that they found the job through a Facebook post.

He also said that police seized eight computer sets, 28 mobile phones, two access cards, two router units, two wifi modems, keys, and RM570 in cash.

ACP Dzulkhairi said the computers that were confiscated had been referred to an online gambling specialist for further investigation.

"The suspects are all under remand and all of the items have been brought back to Iskandar Puteri police headquarters for further investigations under Section 4(1)(G) of the Open House Gambling Act 1953," said ACP Dzulkhairi