KUALA LUMPUR: Despite the police having conducted more anti-gambling raids last year, less money was seized.

       This is due to the online gambling trend, with money transferred directly to syndicates.

       Bukit Aman CID anti-vice, gambling and secret societies division (D7) principal assistant director Senior Asst Comm Mohamad Noor Yusof Ali said last year, there were 20,718 anti-gambling raids conducted by the police, leading to 29,834 arrests.

       Most of the raids, he added, involved illegal lottery premises.

       “In total, we seized RM8,997,253 last year, mostly cash. When compared to the RM9,201,631 seized in 2020, which saw 15,958 raids, there is a drop.

       “Our investigations and analysis show that this is due to the current trend of online gambling where customers would transfer the money directly to the syndicates.

       “The syndicates continue to take advantage of the situation for their benefit and our operations against them continue regardless of the pandemic,” he told a press conference at Pulapol here yesterday.

       Demand and the ease of technology, said SAC Mohamad Noor, had enable syndicates to continue with their illicit business.

       New modus operandi had also been detected by the D7, he added.

       “On April 16, we busted a gambling centre hidden inside an office unit in Subang Jaya. They had hoped that the office logo outside would hide their operations but through our investigations, we managed to uncover their mini casino,” he said.