Malaysian police under pressure to crack down on illegal online gambling

The Malaysian blitz against illegal online gambling operators has intensified in Kuala Lumpur city, where station commanders have been given a month to eliminate unlawful operators by the Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun.

A spokesman for the city’s police force said Thursday that the order from police headquarters has been passed down to district and station commanders, whose results will be scrutinised at the end of the 30 day period.

The spokesman revealed that a special undercover task force has been formed to aid the anti-gambling drive.

“In our previous operations, we have found that den operators hide from us as soon as they learn of our operations,” the spokesman told reporters. “This task force will work undercover and make sure the operators have nowhere to hide, so don’t be surprised if you look over your shoulder and see us making arrests.”

The task force will also be equipped with the latest technology, the spokesman revealed, refusing to give details but assuring reporters that police officers will be given “all the tools they need” to take down illegal gambling syndicates.

Members of the public were urged to report illegal gambling activity to the police, along with police officers themselves, who were threatened with disciplinary action if it was discovered that they knew about an unlawful operation and did not report it.

In recent times police have been backed by local municipalities, which cut off utilities to premises where illegal gambling has been uncovered, discouraging the occupants from restarting operations.

On a wider scale, the government has also deployed IT specialists in a collaborative effort between the Telecommunications, Home and Police ministries aimed at shutting down illegal websites.

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