GEORGE TOWN: Penang police have arrested 31 people, including six Chinese nationals, for allegedly operating illegal football betting syndicates during the ongoing FIFA World Cup tournament.
Penang police chief Comm Datuk Dennis Lim Kwang Keng said the suspects were detained in raids at 26 premises across the state, with investigations still ongoing.
"The operation is still ongoing. Once it concludes, we will compile the overall findings and announce the results," he told reporters on Friday (July 10).
He said illegal betting activities were no longer confined to specific hotspots as syndicates had adapted to advances in technology.
"There are no specific hotspots anymore. They can operate from apartments, residential houses or shoplots. With smartphones, illegal betting can be conducted virtually anywhere," he said.
He said police were focusing not only on arresting runners and operators but also on dismantling the syndicates by identifying and apprehending their masterminds.
"We will continue to arrest those involved at the operational level, but our main priority is to bring down the betting syndicates by targeting those behind the operations.
"To do that, we need information from the public," he said.
Comm Dennis confirmed that all six foreign suspects arrested in the operation were Chinese nationals.
Asked whether police expected illegal betting activities to increase as the World Cup enters its latter stages, Comm Dennis said enforcement efforts would be stepped up.
"We will continue to intensify our operations and monitor the situation closely. It is too early to speculate on whether the activities will increase, but we will do our best. The operations will continue," he said.
