30 men, 13 women nabbed for suspected involvement in illegal gambling activities
SINGAPORE - A total of 43 people between the ages of 22 and 81 have been arrested for their suspected involvement in illegal gambling activities.
The 30 men and 13 women were hauled up by the police in a series of operations conducted islandwide between Nov 20 last year and Jan 4.
On Nov 20, 2021, officers from the Bedok Police Division arrested eight men, aged between 26 and 72, who were allegedly gambling at a hawker centre at Bedok North Street 3. Officers also seized cash amounting to $580, believed to be involved in the offence.
In another operation conducted on Dec 18, four men and five women aged between 47 and 81 were arrested at Lorong 15 Geylang for allegedly gambling.
Preliminary investigations revealed that one of them, a 47-year-old man, was believed to have operated a common gaming house, while the rest were believed to be patrons.
On Dec 24, another four men and two women, aged between 46 and 70, were arrested at Lorong 16 Geylang. The unit was believed to be offering online casino and slots game.
Officers seized $1,885 in cash and computer equipment.
Another operation at a shophouse at Jalan Pinang on Jan 2 resulted in the arrest of seven men and five women, aged between 24 and 65.
Preliminary investigations indicated that one of them, a 37-year-old man, was believed to have operated the gambling den, while the rest were patrons. The police also seized 13 modified computers and about $3,300 cash for investigations.
On Jan 4, officers raided a shophouse in Verdun Road that was believed to be operating as an illegal gambling den, and arrested seven men and one woman aged between 22 and 59.
Two of them, a 22-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman, were believed to have operated the gambling den, while the other six were believed to be patrons. Cash amounting to more than $94,000 and gambling-related paraphernalia were seized.
Those managing a place to be used as a common gaming house can be fined between $5,000 and $50,000, and jailed for up to three years.
As for the patrons, any person convicted of an offence of gaming in a common gaming house can be fined up to $5,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.