Bettors lose RM8 billion to cops

By Alfian Zohri Mohd Tahir, The Malay Mail

Due to a massive police crackdown, gambling syndicates in the Klang Valley suffered about RM8 billion in losses this year up to November.

Federal police CID director, Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin, at a Press conference at Bukit Aman this morning, said this was the result of their efforts in tackling illegal gambling in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

He said RM11.9 million in cash was seized from illegal gambling syndicates so far this year, adding police confiscated RM99,000 from 270 operations conducted during the World Cup 2010.

Bakri said 18,897 illegal gambling premises were raided and 16,511 suspects detained compared with only 16,071 premises raided last year during the same period.

“We also seized 55,049 gambling machines this year.”

Meanwhile, the number of foreign women nabbed in connection with vice activities dropped from 10,825 arrests compared with 11,224 last year.

“This shows the frequent operations which were conducted curbed these vice activities.”

Apart from the two major successes achieved by the police, he said 857 victims of human trafficking were rescued and 187 suspects arrested after 115 cases of human trafficking were investigated.

Bakri thanked the media for cooperating with the police, adding it helped them gain more information.

“The media played a big role in helping police gather information. The media helped us a lot in certain cases and I thank them for assisting us all this while.”

Bakri hoped the public would work with the police to curb social ills in their community.

“We are here for the people and it is our job to protect them. I hope in 2011, the rakyat will work with us to ensure the safety of Malaysians. Hopefully, this coming new year will lead us to a better environment.”