Online gambling ring busted

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have busted an online gambling syndicate that used Malaysia as their operation centre with the arrest of 118 individuals in an operation in Lorong Gurney, off Jalan Semarak on Sunday.

The syndicate had offered online gambling services for Chinese citizens by advertising it on social media application WeChat.

City police chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said the raid was initiated by the Wangsa Maju Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies division (D7) and a team from the Jalan Tun Razak police station, with the assistance of Bukit Aman Police Forensic Computer Crime Investigation Unit.

“The syndicate made Malaysia as its operation centre and received bets of up to RM200,000 a day from gamblers from China. Investigation found that payment was made through Alipay and WeChat Pay,” he told a media conference at the City police headquarters yesterday.

Mazlan said gamblers from China had to contact the syndicate in Malaysia and make a payment using the application. The players can then start the game on the website.

Following the raid, a total of 117 Chinese citizens, including 20 women, and a local man were detained.

“We found that the syndicate was operating at a bungalow with a rental of RM30,000 per month. We believe the huge rental amount was to cover their unscrupulous activities,” he added.

Investigators seized RM30,000 and 6,000 yuan (RM3,617) in cash, computers, 479 handphones and 118 laptops. Ashwin Kumar