JOHOR BARU – Johor police arrested 46 local men yesterday through Op Soga IX in the district, believed to be bookie agents of 2022 Qatar World Cup football gambling with a betting credit limit of RM6.317 million.
Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat, the chief of police in Johor, said all the men, aged 18 to 72, were apprehended in 45 raids since November 21.
He stated that the raid seized RM34,303 in cash, S$500, 48 mobile phones with sim cards, and a betting book.
“They are all being held for further investigation. The success of this operation is largely due to intelligence as well as public complaints and information “he said today in a statement.
He stated that the case was investigated under Sections 6 (3), 6 (1), and 4 (1) (d) of the Betting Act of 1953.
Apart from raiding gambling establishments, Kamarul Zaman stated that the main focus of Op Soga IX was to prevent and crack down on betting activities in conjunction with the World Cup tournament, and to arrest individuals who act as bookies or ‘punters.’
He stated that the operation was also based on the provisions of the Betting Act of 1953, and that strict action would be taken against any individual who organised such gambling betting under the existing law.
At the same time, he urged all parties to report any gambling-related activity to the nearest police station or the Johor police operations room by dialling 07-221 2999 or 07-225 4677.
info source – Bernama