PETALING JAYA: Police have arrested 331 people and seized RM145,005.09 in cash under Ops Soga XI, a nationwide operation targeting illegal sports betting and online gambling activities in conjunction with the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Comm Datuk M. Kumar said the operation has also uncovered betting transactions worth more than RM2.6mil.
He said, the operation, which began on June 11 and will continue until July 19, has seen 293 raids conducted nationwide.
"Of the 331 suspects arrested, 312 are men and 19 are women, while 234 are locals and 97 are foreigners.
"We also seized RM145,005.09 in cash, while the total betting value linked to the cases amounted to RM2,625,529.46," he said in a statement on Monday (June 29).
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Comm Kumar said the operation is being carried out in collaboration with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), particularly in monitoring gambling-related advertisements and promotional activities on websites and social media platforms.
He added that authorities had identified 185 websites, online platforms, applications and social media accounts being used for football betting and gambling promotions.
"Action will be taken with the assistance of the MCMC to block the websites and remove the online content," he said.
All suspects have been brought to the respective district police headquarters for further investigation under the Betting Act 1953 and the Immigration Act 1959/63, where applicable.
Comm Kumar said investigations would also be conducted under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
He said police would continue enforcement operations and strategic cooperation with relevant agencies to combat illegal gambling.
He also urged the public to come forward with information to help the authorities tackle the problem.
