Cops bust online gambling syndicates recruiting programmers

KUALA LUMPUR: The police have busted two gambling syndicates that were recruiting individuals with software programming skills after 24 individuals, including nine foreigners, were arrested in raids at two apartments in Jalan Tun Razak here last month.

Wangsa Maju OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Lazim Ismail (pic) said 14 men and 10 women, aged 24 to 44 years old, were arrested on June 27, and various items, including access cards, laptops, mobile phones and routers were seized.

“They would produce online gambling website software that targeted players abroad. Checks also revealed that the Chinese nationals arrested entered Malaysia on tourist passes,” he said during a media conference at the Wangsa Maju district police headquarters here Friday (July 5).

The syndicate was recruiting programmers among locals and Chinese nationals, offering salaries between RM5,000 and RM12,000, he said, adding that investigations revealed that the two syndicates involved had been hiding behind a legal company that even offered Social Security Organisation contributions.

The case was being investigated under Section 4(1)(g) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, Mohamad Lazim said that three men, aged from 21 to 28 years old, were arrested on June 26 for suspected involvement in motorcycle thefts around Taman Ibu Kota Setapak.

The police also seized five motorcycles and several components, he said, adding that they had solved four motorcycle theft cases in the Wangsa Maju area.

“The suspects have been remanded to facilitate investigations under Section 379A of the Penal Code,” he added. – Bernama