Active year so far for Malaysian anti-online gambling units

Police spokesman Datuk Hamza Taib told Malaysian mainstream media this week that in the first month of 2012 his officers have already conducted 167 anti-gambling raids – 52 of these against online gambling enterprises.

Hamza said 92 people were detained in raids, chiefly on illegal 4-D lotteries, cockfighting and cyber gambling. He said that there has been an increase in illegal gambling despite strenuous police efforts to stamp it out, with 438 premises raided in 2011 for illegal cyber gambling compared to 231 premises in 2010.

“A total of 281 people were detained in 2011 against 385 people in the previous year,” he added.