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JOHOR BARU: Illegal online gambling dens are still operating behind mobile phone shops in Johor, says state police chief Comm Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat.

He said many such premises, as well as those offering prepaid reload services, acted as a front for online gambling activities in a bid to evade the authorities.

“We have inspected 324 premises statewide since Jan 1 and as of Saturday (March 18) we have arrested a total of 334 people.

“Of those arrested, 329 were operating premises that offered online gambling services while the rest were customers,” he said here on Sunday (March 19), adding that the suspects’ ages ranged from 17 to 60.

He added that the electricity supply at 34 premises involved had been cut off by Tenaga Nasional Bhd while local councils struck off the business licences of 13 premises.

Four other businesses would be shut down soon pending approval from the respective local councils, he said.

Comm Kamarul Zaman added that RM49,435 cash, 355 mobile phones, seven tablets and four laptops had been seized as well.

Last year, he said, police conducted 1,003 raids in the state resulting in the arrest of 1,012 premises operators and 68 customers.

Those arrested were being investigated under Section 4(1)(c) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, which carries a minimum fine of RM50,000 and maximum jail term of three years upon conviction.

He said the raids were mostly due to public tip-offs and urged the people to continue helping the police by channelling such information to the Johor police hotline at 07-221 2999.