KUCHING: Police arrested a total of 215 individuals suspected of involvement in illegal gambling activities in the state last month.
From this number, 158 were males aged between 15 to 65 while 12 were foreigners.
State CID chief Datuk Dev Kumar said the arrests were carried out over 92 raids related to illegal gambling statewide throughout last month.
“Seventy-four of the raids involved illegal lottery, 12 were related to cyber gambling, two for cockfighting, and four for gambling in public,” he said in a press statement today.
He added that 93 individuals were arrested in 74 raids on premises used for selling illegal lottery in various districts in the state, with RM22,444.18 confiscated.
Eighteen raids were carried out in Kuching district, nine in Padawan, and eight in Miri. Gambling paraphernalia such as mobile phones, calculators, portable printers, betting slips and stationeries were also seized.
Meanwhile, 12 raids were conducted on premises suspected of being used for cyber gambling, which saw 79 arrests and 108 computers and tablets seized, Dev said.
Cash amounting to RM3,672 were also seized. Six of the raids were carried out in Miri, three in Sri Aman, two in Kuching and one in Lubok Antu.
As for the two cockfighting raids carried out in Miri and Sibu respectively, 23 individuals were arrested and various items seized, including live and dead cockerels.
Concerning the gambling in public incidences which were carried out in Kuching, Sibu, Miri and Dalat districts, a total of 20 individuals were nabbed.
Thirty-two of the raids were on various shops, 24 in public places including five-foot ways, 19 on coffeeshops and restaurants, 12 on sundry shops, and five on shops selling mobile phones, Dev said.
He also pointed out that all family entertainment centres which previously operated fishing and slot machines have already been shut down for a few months.
