Malaysian police call for cooperation to tackle online gambling syndicates
Police say platforms are using foreign identities to evade detection.
Malaysia.- Online gambling syndicates in Malaysia are using foreigners’ identities to register SIM cards and enlisting social media influencers to promote their platforms, the Royal Malaysia Police has warned.
Inspector-general Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said syndicates were paying foreigners to provide personal details, which are then used to register large volumes of SIM cards. When a SIM card is blocked or seized, syndicates quickly replace it with another registered under a different name. “The use of foreign identities makes it difficult to trace the real perpetrators,” Razarudin told New Straits Times. .
He said syndicates operate from high-security condominiums, using multiple SIM cards per member to communicate with clients and manage operations. Additionally, the groups frequently relocate to avoid detection. “They operate entirely online without face-to-face interaction, with all transactions, from player registration to payment, conducted digitally,” Razarudin explained.
Syndicates have also been recruiting social media influencers to advertise their platforms. Razarudin emphasised the need for stronger cross-agency and industry collaboration to tackle the issue.
