Promising “impending nationwide blitz”
Police in Johor Baru, Malaysia conducted a sweep of illegal gambling halls in the overnight hours of September 28, identifying more than 300 sites and closing them all, reported the Malay Mail.
According to the publication, all 13 police districts in the state participated in the raids. They acted on order from the Royal Malaysian Police at Bukit Aman, which launched the crackdown.
“We believe the premises closed due to the announcement by Bukit Aman on the impending nationwide blitz following a recent meeting between federal police, state police chiefs and state criminal investigations department chiefs on illegal gaming outlets in the country,” a source told the Mail. “Based on police intelligence, the focus was on the state capital and neighboring districts where there is a large population.”
The source said the premises, which offered computer games and snooker, were typically accessed by gamblers through separate entrances. Most were equipped with closed-circuit television cameras for monitoring in case of raid by authorities.
Law enforcement had help from Tenaga Nasional, which provided information on utility use; high electricity usage often means the premises has gaming machines.
“We will continue monitoring as we believe that the business owners may attempt to move the computers and related hardware from the premises during this period,” the source said.
The Mail reported that a dozen senior police officers from the anti-vice, gambling and secret societies divisions nationwide—including the elite Special Task for Anti-Vice, Gambling and Gangsterism or STAGG—were transferred following the order to “mount the largest war on illegal gaming.” Some police are believed to have been shielding illegal gambling and prostitution rings, local news media reported.
