Power off: ACP Rahmat Ariffin (second right) looking on as a TNB worker cuts off the power supply at a premise in Iskandar Puteri.
ISKANDAR PUTERI: The electricity supply to 11 illegal gambling premises has been cut off following an operation by the police and Tenaga Nasional Bhd.
OCPD Asst Comm Rahmat Ariffin said the gambling dens were hidden behind businesses such as telecommunication shops, sundry stores and mini markets to avoid suspicion.
“The power cut was done under ‘Ops Pemotongan Elektrik’ under Section 21A of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
“Our investigations showed that these premises have been in operation for six to eight months,” he said yesterday.
ACP Rahmat said a total of 18 premises had their power supply cut off from January to September this year.
“We have also conducted 92 raids in the same period, which saw 94 arrests and seized items and cash worth RM11,375.
“In addition, there were 50 raids and 73 arrests involving illegal online gambling activities with seizures worth RM16,582,” he added.
ACP Rahmat said usually, the owners of the shops would be different people but police believed all of them were managed by the same syndicate.
“A total of 68 workers, aged between 18 and 30, have been charged,” he said, adding that police would not compromise on any activities that involved illegal gambling.
In an unrelated case, ACP Rahmat said a 27-year-old man was arrested for stealing the cargo compartment of a lorry trailer at Southern Industrial and Logistics Clusters.
The suspect stole the trailer on Sept 18 and changed the colour and the chassis of the compartment.
“The suspect was arrested at Taman Nusa Sentral at 2pm on Monday, along with a trailer that he had rented for two months from Kedah.
“Investigations showed the suspect, who works as a lorry attendant, stole the trailer for his personal use,” ACP Rahmat said, adding that the suspect managed to use the stolen trailer for two weeks.
The case is being investigated under Section 379A(1) of the Penal Code for vehicle theft.
