KUCHING – Sarawak police arrested 54 people statewide for illegal online gambling and betting in the 2022 Qatar football World Cup which ended on December 18, said its commissioner Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri.
According to Azman, 50 of them were local citizens while four were foreigners, aged between 18 and 53.
He said the arrests involving 42 men and 12 women were made in 43 raids carried out during Ops Soga IX, which started on November 19 and ended yesterday.
“Out of that number, 43 investigation papers were opened, 17 were charged in court where all the accused had pleaded guilty and paid a fine,” he said during a press conference at the state police contingent headquarters today.
He said the head of the illegal betting syndicate was also arrested and further investigations will be carried out to combat the crime.
Azman said the total value of betting confiscated was estimated at RM50,000 including RM6,744 cash, four computers, 47 phones, two laptops, five printers and football match schedules.
“We cannot confirm the actual amount of bets because confiscated items such as phones will be sent to the forensic lab for data extraction and have to wait for the experts’ report,” he said.
In the meantime, Azman said the Sarawak police will conduct an integrated crime prevention operation from Saturday to January 1 in conjunction with the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The operation, he said, was to fight crime in all the state’s districts, reduce the rate of road accidents and ensure that houses left vacant during the festive season are safe. – Bernama, December 22, 2022
