Penang police bust gambling syndicate, nab nine individuals

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Police busted an online gambling syndicate after detaining five men and four women in a house and seized RM19,641 in a raid in Kampung Paya Tanah Liat, here yesterday.

Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) district police chief ACP Shafee Abd Samad said in the 3.45 pm raid, police nabbed nine individuals aged 42 to 56 at a rental house following information and intelligence conducted by them.

"The syndicate has been renting the house for the past three months and a 48-year-old man who was arrested is the mastermind in providing all gambling items to conduct online 'Si Goh Lak' type gambling there while eight other individuals were working as gambling operators.

"During the raid, the police seized various equipment for them to gamble online, including chips of various colours, dice, chairs, tables, mobile phones, modems, gambling note papers and cash amounting to RM19,641 believed to be gambling money," he said in a statement last night.

He said the initial investigation by the police found that the syndicate used the Live Wechat Group application as a platform to accept gambling bets and was believed to be able to earn thousands of ringgit every day.

He said all of them are remanded to assist in the investigation and the case is investigated under Section 6 (1) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 and each was also compounded RM1,500 each according to Regulation 16 of the Infectious Diseases Prevention and Control Regulations 2021.

-- BERNAMA