25 FOREIGN WOMEN NABBED IN STATEWIDE RAIDS
KOTA KINABALU:
Police raids on nightspots as well as lodging houses and fitness centres around the State resulted in the arrest of at least 25 foreign women on suspicion of involvement in vice activities.
The women comprised 11 Filipinas, eight Thais, five Indonesians and a Chinese national, said State Crime Investigation Department Chief, SAC II Zainal Abidin Kasim, in a statement yesterday.
He said these women were picked up in seven raids as part of a month-long operation.
“At least 61 other raids were conducted but we failed to nab any suspects,” he said.
Zainal said that throughout December last year, a total of 42 nightspots were checked followed by six budget hotels or lodging houses, five fitness centres cum hair salons and other premises.
“We also arrested a total of 75 people in connection with gambling and seized gambling paraphernalia as well as close to RM6,000 cash from the suspects. They included 15 people who were detained for involvement in illegal 4D lottery operations, 13 for cyber gambling and 47 people for involvement in various other gambling activities,” he said.
Most of the illegal 4D gambling suspects were caught in Tuaran, Sandakan and Tawau, he added.
Most of the cyber gambling arrests were made in the City while four were in Sandakan, he said.
Zainal said a total of 24 people were screened for suspected involvement in secret societies but all were released later.
Meanwhile, in KUDAT, police stopped two outlets from operating cyber gambling activities following a public tip-off.
According to Acting District Police Chief, ASP Tan Yong Soon, the Friday raid was conducted just before the outlets were opened for business.
“The Crime Investigation Department detectives led by Inspector Naswa Najib raided the outlets and seized three computers from each and arrested four local men, aged between 29 and 39 and believed to be the outlets’ caretakers,” he said.
Statements were taken from the suspects and they were later released on police bail.
“They claimed that they were just installing the computers and that they were not opening for business yet. We will continue investigating the case.”said Tan.
He added that similar operations wiLL be carried out from time to time to rid the district of such illegal activities.
