Police nab 34 online gambling application makers

PETALING JAYA: Thirty-four employees of a company creating and maintaining online gambling applications for the overseas markets which was raided on Oct 2, were re-arrested under the Prevention of Crime Act (POCA) 1959, yesterday.

Petaling Jaya district police Chief ACP Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal said they comprised 25 local men and nine local women, aged 21 to 43 years, who were prior to this arrested in a raid on a premises in Section 13, here, for carrying out the activity.

He said investigation found that those detained were local university graduates who had skills in producing and maintaining the applications, among others as designers who studied the public's interest in gambling activities.

"Investigations also found that they produce about 500 applications for the use of gambling companies abroad, including in Thailand and are paid between RM2,500 to RM10,000 a month depending on the skill level.

"All of them were taken to court for a remand application. The action is the first in the country on a company that builds and maintains online gambling applications, "he told a media conference at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters, here, today.

Nik Ezanee said an order to prosecute the owner of the premises according to Section 4B (b) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 had also been obtained from the Deputy Public Prosecutor on Oct 23.

Prior to this, Bernama reported that on Oct 2, police arrested 40 locals including a man who acted as an operator and two managers of a company which built and maintained the gambling applications in the raid.

-- BERNAMA