Six foreign nationals fined RM20,000 each for online gambling operations

Kuching Court Complex (File Photo)

KUCHING, July 26: In a recent ruling by the Magistrate’s Court, three foreign women and three foreign men were fined RM20,000 each for managing two online gambling machines.

The verdict was delivered today by Magistrate Syarifah Fatimah Azura Wan Ali, after the five Indonesians and one Filipino pleaded guilty under Section 4B(a) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.

This section of the law carries a penalty of a minimum fine of RM10,000 and a maximum of RM100,000 for each gambling machine seized, and imprisonment of up to five years upon conviction.

The accused, aged between 23 and 44, were charged with committing the offense on July 15, 2024, around 8.15pm, at a luxury apartment on Jalan Stapok Utama, Batu Kawa.

The brief facts of the case revealed that police raided the premises and conducted a thorough check on all the computers there.

They found that two of the computers still running on the premises offered online gambling services targeting the Indonesian market.

Following this discovery, the police arrested all six individuals suspected of operating the online gambling services, and seized the computers and other items used in the gambling operations.

Investigations revealed that all the accused were apprehended along with the items suspected to be used for gambling activities.

The accused admitted that they were working at the premises, managing the gambling machines.

Prosecution was led by Prosecuting Officer ASP Arman Ibrahim, while all the accused were represented by attorney Ralph Lee. — DayakDaily