Some shop lots around town were identified as illegal online gambling premises and have had their electricity supplies cut through a joint operation by the Ipoh District Police Headquarters and a special squad from Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) today (March 11).
According to the Ipoh district police chief, Assistant Commissioner A. Asmadi Abdul Aziz, these shops are often disguised as genuine businesses like mobile top-up shops, clothing stores and many more.
“However, the modus operandi of these gambling premises are constantly changing, which makes it slightly harder for the police to apprehend these criminals.
“Thus, we’re really thankful to the public for their careful observation and timely contribution of information to us,” he told reporters during a media session at one of the involved premises after the raid earlier today.
Five shop lots located at Jalan Kuala Kangsar, Jalan Yang Kalsom, Jalan Dato Onn Jaafar and Jalan CM Yusuf were raided during the operation and have had their electricity supplies cut, alongside the arrests of the individuals involved.
A. Asmadi mentioned, around 29 arrests were made in January and 19 in February due to illegal online gambling.
“This is not a healthy impact towards society, especially when the post-COVID-19 duration arrives.
“Take one of the involved shop lots for instance, the police had arrived and were about to shut down the shop, yet online gambling was still ongoing via usage of a mobile phone and various record-keeping methods.
“Without assistance from citizens, the police wouldn’t have been able to put an end to these rampant gambling activities. Hopefully, the public continues to aid us like they already do, which we really appreciate,” he expressed gratefully.
Chris Teh
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