KUCHING: The routine crackdown by Sarawak police against illegal gambling has resulted in the complete shutdown of more than 30 gambling dens disguised as family entertainment outlets last year.
The police, however, are facing a new set of problem as cyber gambling syndicates have switched their modus operandi.
Instead of operating a premise to run such activities, syndicates are now taking advantage of the advancement in technology by selling reloads coupons for gambling addicts to gamble online using their telecommunication devices.
Sarawak Criminal Investigation Department, (CID) Chief Datuk Dev Kumar said there is no specific law to allow the authorities to prosecute people offering reloads services for online gambling.
“Even if we arrested those selling reloads for online gambling, we cannot charge them (in Court) as there is no specific legislation that allow us to do so,
“The police, however, still make arrest and place those caught selling reload coupons for online gambling inside the lock-up as a lesson for them from committing the same act,” he told reporters here today.
The police, he said, are in the process of identifying the syndicate supplying the reloads coupons, which appears to be a daunting task.
“We want to locate and foil this syndicate the soonest before the sale of reload coupons spread to other parts of the state,
“All those caught offering reloads services, who also operate shop selling other items, claimed they do not know the syndicate (supplying the reloads),” he stated.
Last year, he said, police seized RM442,619.90 and 925 gambling machines during its weekly operations against illegal gambling in the state.
2,450 people were arrested for their involvement in several types of gambling including slot machines, illegal lotteries, cock fights, gambling inside the premise and illegal bettings.
“This operation will continue as we are bent in cleaning up the state from any forms of illegal gambling,” he disclosed.
