ALOR SETAR: Kedah police have detained 15 suspects, including a 13-year-old student, during a raid at a cyber cafe here.

State CID chief Asst Comm Mohd Nashir Ya said the raid, conducted under Ops Cantas Khas, was held around 4.30am on Friday at Taman Sepakat.

Among those arrested was a man believed to be the cafe’s caretaker.

“The 14 others were caught in the act of placing bets online, including the 13-year-old boy.

“We seized 27 computers worth about RM80,000, some cash and six cash deposit bank-in slips from the cafe,” he said at the Kedah state police contingent headquarters.

ACP Mohd Nashir said the suspects were remanded for further investigation.

He said the case was being investigated under Section 4B(a) of the Common Gaming House Act 1953, which carries a maximum fine of RM100,000 for each of the gambling computers and components seized, and Section 6(1) of the Act, which carries a maximum fine of RM5,000 or a jail term of not more than six months, or both, if convicted.

“The operator of the outlet faces a minimum fine of about RM270,000 or a maximum fine of about RM2.7mil, if he is convicted,” he added.

He said the gamblers were given the operator’s contact number.

“The operator will then give the players the user name and password of the online gambling website via SMS so that they can place their bets.

“If the player wins, he will contact the operator and give his bank account number for payment,” he said, adding that the player could also collect the winnings from the operator personally.

The minimum bet a player could place was RM10.

ACP Mohd Nashir said police received information that the operator also sold RM100 “top-up cards” with usernames and passwords.

Police, he added, would work closely with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to stop such illegal activities.-thestar