Malaysian Police Raid 201 Premises, Seize RM32,149 in Cash

108 Raids Hit Online Operations, 93 Hit Unlicensed 4D Counters

The nationwide crackdown, dubbed Op Dadu Khas, was carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Bukit Aman, the federal police headquarters. 108 of the premises were operating illegal gambling dens for online games, while 93 were operating illegal 4D gambling. Police further seized tablets, mobile phones, and portable printers.

Illegal gambling dens were discovered in innocuous locations such as cafés, drink stalls, grocery stores, and telecommunications centres.

Of the 282 people arrested, 229 were men, and 53 were women, ranging in age from 20 to 65. Police also say 223 of those arrested were Malaysians, while 59 were foreign nationals from Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal and Bangladesh. The foreigners are believed to have been hired by local syndicates as caretakers for the gambling dens. Identity documents were seized, and citizenship is still being verified. All 282 have been remanded for one to four days pending further investigations.

That cash total is the number worth holding on to. RM32,149 across 201 addresses means the float in the shop was small change. Police say that after completing the investigation, they will then move to track down the masterminds of the syndicates under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (2001).

Charges will be brought against the two syndicates, Winbox and Alibaba, for offences against the Common Gaming Houses Act (1953). Those are under sections 4A(a), 4B(a), and 4(1)(c). Their foreign caretakers will also be liable under provisions of the Immigration Act (1959/63).

"Action will be intensified firmly and continuously, including cutting off the electricity supply," said Bukit Aman CID director Datuk M. Kumar.

Malaysia Has No Online Licence to Lose

Malaysia licenses almost nothing. There is one casino, at Genting Highlands. There are three licensed numbers-forecast operators and the turf clubs. All these are governed by gambling laws dating back to 1953. Under state Sharia laws, Muslims are prohibited from gambling. Malaysia has no licence for gambling on the internet. So, all 108 online addresses raided were illegal by definition, not by breach. By contrast, neighbouring Indonesia has begun cracking down on gambling content on its platforms.

The other 93 premises were unlicensed 4D counters. The 4D draw is a game of chance sold by licensed operators. So, an unlicensed counter is competing with a tax-paying operator. Enforcement here has a revenue motive too.

What This Means

• Operators: nothing legal to apply for, and the enforcement route is the police, not a regulator. Licensed number operators get a cleaner market for a while.
• Affiliates: anyone sending Malaysian traffic to Winbox or Alibaba now has a named brand in a money-laundering file. Check whether your payout chain touches the accounts being traced. Expect social ads to go: police are working with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on takedowns.
• Providers: two syndicates named in public is a compliance flag for anyone supplying aggregated content into the region.

What’s Next

Police will propose cutting the electricity supply at all 201 addresses under section 21A of the Common Gaming Houses Act once the investigations close. With remand running one to four days from 2 November, the first charging decisions fall this week.

Source: Bernama, "Police Bust Gambling Syndicates Operating Behind Legitimate Business Premises", 2 November 2026