KOTA KINABALU, Dec 4 — A teenage girl is among 22 suspects who have been arrested by the police here for running illegal gambling dens in and around the city.

Sabah police commissioner Datuk Ramli Din said that out of the 22, only one was male. All of them were aged between 15 and 42 years old.

"The teenage girl was found manning one of the dens. The dens were just rented shoplots, most of them running as convenience stores, while selling these self-printed lottery tickets for buyers,” he said during a Press conference here.

Ramli said that the Kota Kinabalu city police chief assistant commissioner M Chandra had started Ops Dadu khas since December 2,  to eradicate illegal lottery dens.

Along with the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission, they raided some nine premises around Inanam, Karamunsing, and Tanjung Aru beginning at 5pm until 8pm.

"They also seized RM8,676 worth of case, some 24 cell phones, 23 small mobile ticket printers, and other paraphernalia associated with their business operations,” he said.

Several lottery ticket buyers were also apprehended and statements were taken before they were released under police bail.

The offences were being investigated under the Common House Gaming Act 1953.

Earlier, Ramli had earlier signed contracts to dispose of the city police department’s e-waste by shipping them to a recycling centre in Shah Alam.

For the first time, the Kota Kinabalu city department would be taking the "environmentally-friendly” approach to disposal of their electronic evidence.

He said that 5,544 cyber gambling evidence such as computer components and machines worth about RM1.2 million from cases in 2006 to 2015 were being shipped.

"It involves 96 investigation papers which have been completed and solved. In line with the go-green concept practiced by police, these electronic wastes will be disposed using regulated methods under the Environmental Quality Act 1974.

"These items will be sent to Shah Alam for proper and safer disposal without harming and polluting the environment,” he said.