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‘Gambling den’ just 1km from police HQ: Residents

KUALA LUMPUR — How could the police not know that an illegal gambling den was operating just a kilometre away from the district police headquarters in Sepang, Malaysia?

The outlet in Sepang has been closed since the rape incident. Photo: Malay Mail Online

The outlet in Sepang has been closed since the rape incident. Photo: Malay Mail Online

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KUALA LUMPUR — How could the police not know that an illegal gambling den was operating just a kilometre away from the district police headquarters in Sepang, Malaysia?

Although the true nature of the so-called cyber cafe in Bandar Kinrara was exposed when security camera footage of a woman being raped went viral on social media, residents in the area were surprised police did not know about its illegal activities.

A 30-year-old contractor said he was baffled the police were in the dark about the illegal gambling den, although the shop was just a short distance from their headquarters.

“True, it might not have raised suspicions initially, but wouldn’t police take notice or know of new premises such as this operating in the area?” he said, requesting anonymity.

He said the outlet could have caused youngsters to play truant as there were several schools nearby.

Serdang police chief Assistant Commissioner Megat Mohamad Aminuddin Megat Alias on Monday (May 15) said police were unaware of the premises’ illicit activities as it had been registered as a cyber cafe.

“The owner who lodged a report (on the rape) would be called back for investigations into the alleged gambling activities in his premises,” he said.

A 28-year-old woman, who only wanted to be known as Nurul, said the outlet opened about two weeks ago and operated around the clock.

Ms Nurul, whose office is near the “cyber cafe”, said the outlet was quiet during the day but would get busier at night.

She said a man stood guard near the entrance of the shop.

“Whenever a customer arrives, he would approach them and buzz them in with a doorbell to notify staff inside. Does that seem normal to you?”

Ms Nurul said she counted about 17 computers, game machines and slot machines in the premises.

“Even though the windows were fully tinted, it looked like a normal cyber cafe from the outside. The gambling machines were located further inside,” she said.

Asked if she knew the Indonesian woman who was raped in the footage, Ms Nurul said the woman was in her 20s and had only started working in the shop as a cashier about five days before the incident.

She said the woman stayed at a nearby kongsi, or “clan house”, for foreigners and started working in the area three years ago. MALAY MAIL ONLINE

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