Gambling activities now moving into coffee shops - Mazlan

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said police detected the new tactics of gambling activities where operators would disguise as customers at coffee shops while using mobile devices to operate, to make their activities seemingly invisible.

“Gambling operators are believed to have moved to coffee shops because their previous premises have been subjected to electricity supply cut by the police in collaboration with Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB).

"They did so because they realised if they rented the premises as they had done before, we would cut off their electricity," he said in a press conference after officiating the disposal of gambling-related items by the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters (IPK) at Alam Damai police station, Cheras here.

He said the use of coffee shops as their base also made it easier for them to flee if there was a raid.

Mazlan explained that so far, 51 illegal gambling premises have had their electricity supply cut off while another 24 premises would also be subjected to similar measures in the near future.

"We are identifying the owners of the premises who rented their shops for gambling activities and owners of the business licences who abuse them for gambling activities, would be facing action," he said.