KUCHING: With the closure of fish machines outlets throughout Sarawak, state police personnel continued with their aggressive raids against illegal gambling.
State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief, SAC Dato’ Dev Kumar Sree Shunmugam said for the past week, from 29 May to 11 June, the state police conducted 45 successful raids against illegal gambling that resulted in the arrests of 80 individuals. 42 of the raids were against illegal 4D.
The raids were conducted by teams from CID HQ and district CID units. There were ten raids conducted by CID Headquarters, namely in Kuching, Padawan and Sarikei. Other than that CID Padawan conducted nine raids, CID Miri five raids, CID Kuching four raids; three raids by CID Kota Samarahan and two raids each by CID Bintulu, CID Sibu, CID Sarikei, CID Serian and CID Limbang.
CID Saratok, CID Simunjan, CID Bau and CID Matu Daro conducted one raid each.
The 42 raids on illegal 4D sellers resulted in the arrests of 52 individuals and seizure of cash amounting to RM11,419. Mobile phones, portable printers, betting slips, calculators and stationeries were also seized.
Dev Kumar said besides the illegal 4D, police conducted a raid on a cyber gambling outlet in Permyjaya, Miri which resulted in the arrest of 18 individuals as well as seizure of 20 computers and laptops.
“A raid was conducted at a cock-fighting pit in Batu Niah, Miri. Six individuals were arrested and various gambling paraphernalia, including six live roosters were seized,” he said, adding that police had also detained four people in the same district for playing ‘holo’.
Of the 80 arrested, Dev Kumar said 56 were males while the rest were females. They were aged between 16 and 73 years old.
“All those arrested, including three foreigners who were detained at the cockfighting-pit in Batu Niah, Miri, are being investigated for offences under the Common Gaming House Act, 1953 and Prevention to Cruelty of Animals Ordinance, 1962,” he said.
Dev Kumar also said 14 of the raids were conducted at coffee shops, 12 at public places and five-foot-ways, 10 at grocery shops and nine at shoplots.
