Malaysia: social media influences arrested for allegedly promoting illegal online gambling

23 women and four men were arrested.

Malaysia.- Police have arrested 27 social media influencers, aged between 21 and 35, for allegedly promoting illegal online gambling sites. The 23 women and 4 men were detained in various locations on Thursday (June 13).

Bukit Aman CID director comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said investigations found that gambling syndicates had hired the suspects based on their social media followings. Each influencer allegedly received payments ranging from RM1,500 and RM8,000 based on their number of followers. Police seized 30 mobile phones.

The influencers are being investigated under the Open Gaming House Act and Section 233 of the Malaysia Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Act. The police aim to trace the syndicates involved. The Sta says the influencers were also promoting beauty products.

See also: Malaysia: 6 arrested for alleged illegal online gambling