KUALA LUMPUR: Police have seized 243 tablet-shaped gambling machines from a canopy-selling shop in Kampung Baru Rasah, Seremban.
According to Buletin TV3, the raid, conducted by the Seremban Criminal Investigation Department around 4.30pm yesterday, resulted in the arrest of two local men and a Chinese national.
The Chinese national, who is believed to be a technician, was found to be working without a valid work permit.
Seremban police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Hatta Che Din said the premises were being used as a storage warehouse, and the three suspects were believed to have been supplying the gambling machines.
He said police acted on information received from the public and conducted three weeks of intelligence gathering before the raid.
"In this raid, police seized 140 slot machines, 43 fish shooting machines, and one Street Fighter simulation machine, bringing the total to 243 machines with an estimated value of RM560,000.
"These are believed to be equipment used for gambling activities. The machines are believed to have been brought in from China, and the store was used as a transit point before being distributed to other states," he told reporters.
He said the investigation found that all the portable machines already had buyers from outside Negri Sembilan, with each machine priced between RM2,000 and RM2,500.
"One local man is believed to be the business owner, and another is his business partner, while the Chinese national is believed to be the technician for the machines.
"The machines are in the form of portable tablets. It is understood that players only need to top up a certain amount of money and are given a small chip to allow them to play," he said.
Hatta said the case was being investigated under Section 4B(b) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, for offences relating to gambling machines, while the Chinese national is being investigated under sections 55B and 39(b) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 for working without a valid permit.
"All three suspects have been remanded for two days starting yesterday, and further investigations are underway. Police are also tracking down buyers from other states to curb this activity," he said.