SHAH ALAM: Selangor police will utilise the Prevention of Crime Act (POCA) to investigate landlords who rent out their premises in the state for illegal gaming activities.
The move was a part of the state police’s crackdown against the illicit activities, as syndicates continued to reopen and operate their gambling dens despite countless raids carried out by authorities.
Selangor police chief Datuk Abdul Samah Mat said they were also hoping that the laws would be amended to enable the seizure of these premises.
He said then, property owners would be scared to rent out their premises if they faced the risk of losing their properties if found guilty of working in cahoots with syndicates.
“There have been many cases where the same premises were raided by the authorities for housing illegal gambling activities and continued to be used for the (same) purpose.
“Why? Because it is a lucrative trade and the property owners usually have their cut, a percentage of what the syndicate makes at their premises.
“I believe that one day, if the law provides for the court to seize premises that were rented by syndicates, we would be able to see actions against them to be more effective,” he said at the Selangor police headquarters, earlier today.
Abdul Samah spoke to reporters after a duty handover ceremony between outgoing Selangor police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Datuk Adnan Abdullah and his predecessor Senior Assistant Commissioner Fadzil Ahmat.
He said premises’ owners, when called to facilitate investigations each time their premises are raided, have always claimed that they were not aware of the activities that took place in their properties.
Abdul Samah said police knows that this is only an excuse for it does not make sense for landlords to lease out their properties without knowing what it will be used for.
He said police will start using POCA in probing landlords suspected to be in cahoots with syndicates.
It is learnt that investigations into the owners would also include their financial records.
Abdul Samah said between January and September this year, the state police have carried out 3,783 raids against illegal gaming dens in the state.
The operations saw 41,542 gaming machines and equipment worth RM33.2 million seized, and 4,476 suspects arrested.
He said five out of 218 suspects detained under POCA in Selangor this year were suspected members of illegal gaming syndicates.