Ipoh: Police arrested four individuals, including a woman, in three separate raids around Ipoh yesterday on suspicion of involvement in unlicensed public lottery activities. Perak police chief Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin said a team from the Anti-Vice, Gambling, and Secret Societies Division (D7) of the state police headquarters' (IPK) Criminal Investigation Department (CID) apprehended all the suspects, aged between 40 and 70, who are believed to be members of a syndicate.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, police also seized various items, including computers, mobile phones, 10 lottery slips, and cash totaling RM110,119. Noor Hisam mentioned in a press conference at the Perak IPK that the syndicate is believed to have been active since 2020 around the Ipoh district. Investigations revealed that all the suspects were orchestrated by gambling agents directly involved with the organizers.

The modus operandi of the agents in this syndicate is to conduct unlicensed public lottery sales activities via mobile platforms to avoid detection by the authorities. These agents also use their homes to count the proceeds of these unlicensed public lotteries. The case is being investigated under Section 4(a)(a) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.

Meanwhile, police also arrested 119 individuals in 87 raids carried out during Op Mega Cantas Khas in the state last week for violent crimes, property crimes, and other offences.