MIRI: Police here arrested eight people in a targeted crackdown on online gambling operations that have shifted into remote rural areas around Miri.
The four-day operation, carried out between Apr 27 and 30 by the Criminal Investigation Department at the Miri district police headquarters, uncovered a network of small premises and makeshift structures used to run illegal betting activities far from the scrutiny of the town centre.
Officers conducted eight coordinated raids across Batu Niah, Bekenu and Lambir, areas identified through intelligence as active for so-called judi online (JOL) operations. Three of the locations were in Batu Niah, three in Bekenu and two in Lambir.
Seven women aged between 20 and 35 and a 31-year-old man were detained during the raids.
Investigators believe they were directly involved in managing the day-to-day running of the operations, including overseeing the premises used for the illicit activities.
Equipment believed to have been used to facilitate online gambling was seized, although police did not disclose further details.
In a parallel move to disrupt the network’s infrastructure, electricity supply to six identified premises was cut, effectively disabling their ability to operate.
All eight suspects have been remanded for two days to assist investigations and are expected to be charged at the Subis Circuit Court in the coming days.
