Police bust online gambling app syndicate posing as IT company in Subang Jaya

SUBANG JAYA, March 21 — Police detained 84 individuals, including a Thai national, on suspicion of developing online gambling apps for foreign markets, during a raid at a shopping centre here on Monday (March 18).

Selangor police chief, Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, stated that 94 laptops, 105 mobile phones, six luxury vehicles, and RM15,849 in cash were also seized in the 3.15pm raid.

Hussein explained that the syndicate registered as an information technology company, hiring the detained individuals as IT workers to develop gambling apps targeting markets in Thailand, Brazil, China and Vietnam, with salaries ranging from RM5,000 to RM20,000 per month.

“The detainees, comprising 62 men and 22 women, were assured that their work did not violate any laws. Police believe this syndicate has been operating in another state for the past three years and relocated here at the end of last year,” he said at a press conference here today.

Hussein added that the syndicate had developed gambling apps such as Apexplay, Play168, 168KJW, Betace, and Sealottlo for these countries.

The owners of the said company have also been identified and police will make arrests soon, he said.

“All the detainees, aged 23 to 43 years old, are remanded until tomorrow (March 22), and the case is being investigated under Sections 4(1)(A), 4(1)(c), and 4(1)(G) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953 for operating, managing, and promoting gambling-related platforms,” he said.

In a separate case, Hussein stated that they had arrested a 33-year-old local man at a house in Petaling Jaya on March 15 for suspected involvement in the distribution and smuggling of alcoholic beverages.

He said that during the raid conducted at 4.10pm, they seized 13,087 bottles and cans of various types of undeclared alcoholic beverages estimated at RM500,000, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(D) of the Customs Act 1967. — Bernama