KEPALA BATAS, Aug 13 — The tactic of online gambling operators to hide their illegal activities behind other businesses in Seberang Perai Utara failed as they were busted by police in “Op Dadu” recently.

Seberang Perai Utara district police chief, ACP Noorzainy Mohd Noor said its Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division (D7) had conducted 25 raids and arrested 15 individuals including four women aged 21 to 39, in the operations conducted from July 1 until August 10.

“We found that the modus operandi of the gambling agents was to operate at the back of other business premises such as clothing, grocery and mobile phone shops.

“We also found that the front door of the premises had a hole or there was a special space for their illegal transactions. We believe the activities were carried out 24 hours, especially for the convenience of their customers,” he told reporters, here, today.

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Tenaga National Berhad personnel cut the main power line to a shoplot that runs an illegal gambling den here at Bertam Putra, Kepala Batas August 13, 2020. —  Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
Tenaga National Berhad personnel cut the main power line to a shoplot that runs an illegal gambling den here at Bertam Putra, Kepala Batas August 13, 2020. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Earlier, Noorzainy led an operation to cut the electricity supply in premises identified as conducting illegal online gambling and lottery activities around Bertam and Tasek Gelugor.

He said the raided premises had installed closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to detect police presence and the operators would close these premises if they saw any suspicious persons around.

“They have been using various tactics but police are always monitoring to curb their activities and recently, we even brought along a gambling expert team to help detect the premises involved,” he said.

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Noorzainy added that police would also take action against the owners of premises that allowed their tenants to conduct criminal activities. — Bernama