Malaysia: 9 arrested for alleged illegal online gambling

Those arrested allegedly worked for a gambling operation called Victory Kenny.

Malaysia.- Police in Sabah have arrested nine people who were allegedly working at a call centre for an illegal online gambling operations known as Victory Kenny (VK). The call centre is believed to have been working for several months from an apartment in Benoni, Papar offering access to gambling sites, rewards, and membership services.

Sabah Police commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said staff communicated with customers through WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook. The raid resulted in the arrest of an alleged manager, aged 30, a technician, aged 31, and seven operators between the ages of 19 and 29. Police seized various items, including computers, mobile phones, ATM cards and vehicles. 

According to The Star, multiple bank accounts were frozen. The total value of the items confiscated and accounts frozen amounted to over RM700,841. This operation is part of a crackdown carried out in Sabah since June. So far 30 suspects have been arrested.

Three cases involved premises in Penampang and Kota Kinabalu, with offences including forex trading and fraudulent schemes selling non-existent items. Police Commissioner Jauteh said efforts to identify the primary account holders in these cases are ongoing.

Earlier this week, the Court of Appeal in Peninsular Malaysia ruled that online gambling as an offence under the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953. The decision follows the affirmation of the conviction and sentencing of a retired police officer and a former gambling venue manager for separate gambling-related offences in the region of Melaka.

See also: Malaysia: 1,873 arrested in crackdown on illegal gambling