Over 100 nabbed in Johor gambling crackdown

JOHOR BARU: A total of 102 people, including 11 undocumented migrants, have been arrested in the state-wide anti-gambling operation Ops Dadu Khas.

Johor police chief Comm M. Kumar said the operation from Saturday to Monday (June 8 to 10) involved 15 senior officers and 96 policemen from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

“The objective is to eradicate all online gambling, unlicensed public lottery activities, and all other gambling activities.

“The team conducted 87 raids on 47 premises and 40 other locations statewide and arrested 90 men and 12 women.

“Those arrested consist of 91 locals and 11 foreigners, all aged between 18 and 67,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (June 11).

Police also confiscated RM15,195 in cash, 94 mobile phones, 39 mobile printers, 155 sheets of notepaper, 104 playing cards, wifi routers, modems, tables, chairs, and gambling paraphernalia, he added.

Comm Kumar added that all the suspects would be remanded to assist with investigations under Sections 4A(a), 4B(a), 4(1)(c), and 7(2) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 for involvement in illegal lottery sales, involvement in illegal gambling, engaging in online gambling activities, and gambling in public.

The matter is also being investigated under Sections 39(b), 55B, 6(1)(c), and 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for violating the terms of visit passes, hiring foreign workers without a permit, entering the country without valid travel documents, and overstaying.

Comm Kumar said that from January until June 10, the CID conducted 1,168 raids and arrested 1,594 people for various gambling offences.

“We also confiscated 1,179 mobile phones, 507 mobile printers, and other gambling items, all worth RM460,855,” he said, adding that police will continue to conduct total enforcement on all gambling activities.

Comm Kumar urged those with information on gambling activities and other criminal offences to forward the information to the Johor police hotline numbers at 019-2792095 or 07-2212999.