MIRI: Two women today (April 22) have been fined by a magistrates’ court here after admitting to separate offences linked to online gambling operations.
The first accused, a local woman in her 30s, was ordered to pay a fine of RM2,500 or face two months’ imprisonment in default after pleading guilty to a charge under Section 7(2) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
The court heard that the offence took place at about 1:00 pm on April 18, when a police team from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Miri District Police Headquarters carried out a surprise inspection under ‘Ops Dadu’ at a business premises along Jalan Desa Pujut Utama.
During the operations, officers found the woman allegedly engaged in online gambling activities using her mobile phone.
Police seized a Vivo handset along with RM40 in cash believed to be linked to the activity.
In a separate case, a 34-year-old woman was fined RM5,000, or four months’ imprisonment in default, after admitting to a similar offence.
Her arrest followed a police raid on a 24-hour convenience shop at the Airport Commercial Centre on January 27.
Both cases were prosecuted under the same provision of the law, which criminalises involvement in illegal gambling activities, including those conducted via digital platforms.
