Malaysian police have arrested 137 people, mostly from China and Taiwan, busting in the process a ring that bet on English soccer, staged internet gambling and carried out online scams.
AFP reported that five of those arrested were Malaysians, while the rest were from China and Taiwan.
"They were involved in [soccer] gambling, online gambling and in computer scam activities," said Abdul Rashid Abdul Wahab, police chief of the city of Kajang where the ring was based.
Abdul Rashid said the ring organized betting on English Premier League games and other forms of online gambling.
It also carried out internet scams that sought to obtain the credit card numbers of victims in China, Taiwan and Portugal by sending email notices claiming the recipients had debts they needed to pay.
He said the organization appeared relatively sophisticated, as the five properties raided by police Thursday were equipped with closed-circuit televisions systems for security. Police conducted the raid after receiving a tip-off.
The operation was one of the biggest such busts ever in the country, Abdul Rashid said.
"For sure, we will demand harsh punishments," he said, adding that the charges in the case could lead to jail terms of up to 20 years and caning.
Gambling on soccer is illegal in Malaysia. Most other types of gambling also are illegal outside of the country's sole casino resort, in the Genting Highlands near Kuala Lumpur.
