Interpol praises police
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysian police have won international recognition for their clampdown against illegal bookmakers during the Fifa World Cup in South Africa last year.
The country was ranked second among six Asian nations by the Interpol General Secretariat Asia-Pacific Expert Group on Asia Organised Crime.
Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Singapore and Macau had earlier agreed to be grouped together to assess which nation would be more successful in clamping down on illegal betting during the World Cup.
Thailand finished ahead of Malaysia with Hong Kong coming in third.
Operations held nationwide saw more than 200 bookmakers arrested, a 300-per cent increase from the last World Cup in Germany in 2006.
Police also identified four kingpins with previous convictions who left Malaysia prior to the start of the World Cup. Their present whereabouts are unknown.
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Among their notable successes were the crippling of two syndicates based in Penang, which accepted bets of up to RM750,000 and a syndicate in Klang that offered selected punters up to RM100,000 in credit just for the month-long tournament.
Convicted bookmakers face a fine of between RM20,000 and RM200,000 or five years' jail or both. Punters face a RM5,000 fine or six months' jail or both.
-New Straits Times
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