THE government has declared all-out war against online gambling syndicates and foreign scams that cause huge losses.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also home minister, said he had ordered police to bust illegal gambling activities.
“We are serious about eradicating syndicates from Malaysia. Police are going all out and have been in contact with China, Macau and African countries where some of these syndicates are operating, to put an end to it,” he said at the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) 7th Consumer Forum closing ceremony at Menara Felda.
Zahid said, however, a concerted effort was needed to eradicate such syndicates.
“Many families face financial problems due to gambling. This can push people to commit crimes like snatch theft, extortion, gangsterism and drugs” he said, adding that the authorities found that those who gambled included primary pupils.
Zahid said ending illegal online gambling and arresting those responsible would be challenging as these syndicates either operated outside the country or, if they were in Malaysia, did not stick to one location for long.
“These syndicates are smart but we must be smarter in tracking them down. I have made it a KPI (key performance indicators) requirement for state police chiefs so that they will focus on addressing this problem.
“I have asked Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun to make this a priority as it is a serious problem.”
Zahid said more that 420 gambling syndicate kingpins from China had been extradited to their country to be charged with illegal gambling.