S’wak closes down all illegal gaming machine outlets

MIRI: Sarawak became the first state to eradicate machinebased gambling dens following continuous efforts to crack down on illegal gambling.

State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief SAC Datuk Dev Kumar said illegal four-digit (4D) and cyber-gambling syndicates, however, continue to operate but less visibly than before.

“Sarawak police have successfully eradicated slot machines in the state. Recreational clubs that operated these machines have all closed down.

“We are confident that we have seen the end of these machines in Sarawak,” he told theSun.

However, Dev stressed that cyber gambling still exists but in a more clandestine manner.

“Since the closure of these cyber gambling outlets in the state, operators continue to feed the gambling addiction by providing reload services and online transactions to gamblers using mobile phones.

“After reloading their tablets or phones, these gamblers are able to gamble anywhere, either in coffee shops or their homes,” he added.

Dev said state police commissioner Datuk Amer Awal wanted police district chiefs to adopt a “no-nonsense approach” against illegal gambling.

On Sept 27, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim had directed all 14 state police contingents nationwide to locate and eradicate illegal gaming machine outlets in their respective states. – by Ashwin Kumar