GEORGE TOWN, Feb 7 — Police detained 20 people including 16 senior citizens who were gambling at a rented house which was being used as a base for gambling during the Movement Control Order (MCO), in Air Itam, here, early this morning.
In the 1 am raid, the Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division (D7) in collaboration with the Serious Crime Division (D9) of the Penang Contingent Police headquarters arrested 15 men and five women.
According to sources, the police had been keeping a surveillance on the rented house in the village for a week. In the raid, four people—three men and a woman—were found gambling (playing cards).
“Others were found playing mahjong. Police confiscated gambling equipment such as cards and mahjong as well as RM1,350 in cash that was on the table,” said a police spokesman when contacted today.
Meanwhile, Penang CID chief SAC Rahimi Mohd Ra’ais confirmed the arrest of the 20 individuals, aged 50 to 70, for being involved in gambling activities in the rented house.
He said all of them are being investigated under Section 269 of the Penal Code and Article 16 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Regulations 2021 for violating the MCO and Section 7(2) of the Open House Gambling Act 1953. — Bernama
