Police detain 227 with RM419m in bets on World Cup matches
KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — Police detained 227 suspects with bets worth RM419.2mil for the month-long FIFA World Cup 2010 matches which ended early today. Spain won the World Cup after defeating Holland 1-0 in a game that went to extra-time.
CID director Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin said today the suspects aged 15-73 years were not only bookies and gamblers but include Ah Longs (loan sharks) and those who took loans from Ah Longs. Of the 227 detained in 270 raids, 216 including seven women were locals while 11 were Indonesians.
The government had cited social ills for backtracking its approval for a football betting licence issued to tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan’s Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd last month. Tan had won approval to revive a licence first issued by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad but Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said public outcry against gambling outweighed its financial benefits.
Local newspapers had highlighted the number of police raids against illegal betting as a reason to legalise the industry which Tan had estimated to be worth as much as RM30 billion and could provide the government with RM3 billion in annual tax revenues. Malaysia already gains from taxing numbers forecast operators and the sole casino in Genting Highlands.
Analysts differ on the amount of money wagered with illegal gambling syndicates due to the murky nature of the industry while police say not all raids are successful, especially for the World Cup period.
“Only 151 raids were successful. We seized cash RM99,266, laptops, mobile phones, betting slips, fax machines and calculators,” Bakri told reporters at his office here.
He said 151 investigation papers were opened under Section 6 (3) of Betting Act 1953.
It is understood that the syndicates operate online with payments made through deposits in bank accounts and also the traditional method using paper slips.
Police are tracking down four men believed to be the syndicates’ kingpins who slipped to a neighbouring country before Ops Soga began in April.
The suspects in their 40s had been identified and police are monitoring movement of their family members.
The four have previous records including for gambling and other crimes.
“It doesn’t stop here as there are other football matches like the English Premier League.
“We believe that there will be other new betting syndicates,” Bakri added.
KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — Police detained 227 suspects with bets worth RM419.2mil for the month-long FIFA World Cup 2010 matches which ended early today. Spain won the World Cup after defeating Holland 1-0 in a game that went to extra-time.
CID director Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin said today the suspects aged 15-73 years were not only bookies and gamblers but include Ah Longs (loan sharks) and those who took loans from Ah Longs. Of the 227 detained in 270 raids, 216 including seven women were locals while 11 were Indonesians.
The government had cited social ills for backtracking its approval for a football betting licence issued to tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan’s Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd last month. Tan had won approval to revive a licence first issued by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad but Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said public outcry against gambling outweighed its financial benefits.
Local newspapers had highlighted the number of police raids against illegal betting as a reason to legalise the industry which Tan had estimated to be worth as much as RM30 billion and could provide the government with RM3 billion in annual tax revenues. Malaysia already gains from taxing numbers forecast operators and the sole casino in Genting Highlands.
Analysts differ on the amount of money wagered with illegal gambling syndicates due to the murky nature of the industry while police say not all raids are successful, especially for the World Cup period.
“Only 151 raids were successful. We seized cash RM99,266, laptops, mobile phones, betting slips, fax machines and calculators,” Bakri told reporters at his office here.
He said 151 investigation papers were opened under Section 6 (3) of Betting Act 1953.
It is understood that the syndicates operate online with payments made through deposits in bank accounts and also the traditional method using paper slips.
Police are tracking down four men believed to be the syndicates’ kingpins who slipped to a neighbouring country before Ops Soga began in April.
The suspects in their 40s had been identified and police are monitoring movement of their family members.
The four have previous records including for gambling and other crimes.
“It doesn’t stop here as there are other football matches like the English Premier League.
“We believe that there will be other new betting syndicates,” Bakri added.
