Lamborghini found in illegal football betting raid

[Zhang He]

Monday November 15, 2010

Lamborghini found in illegal football betting raid

GEORGE TOWN: Police came across a Lamborghini sports car when they arrested two men from a football bookmaking syndicate said to be raking in up to RM1.4mil worth of bets a day in Lengkok Free School here. A George Town police team led by ASP Fauzi Mohd Yusof found the Italian-made sports car when they raided an apartment early yesterday and picked up the bookies, aged 24 and 41, following a tip-off.

The younger bookie, who works as a real estate agent, claimed that the vehicle belonged to his uncle. Police have not ruled out the possibility that the vehicle could have been bought with proceeds from the bookmaking activities. George Town OCPD Asst Comm Gan Kong Meng said the two were in the midst of taking bets when the police team moved in at 12.05am yesterday.

“The team seized three laptops, four handphones, a cheque book, three betting sheets, eight Erimin 5 pills and a packet of ketamine. “The two bookies are believed to have links with other syndicates nationwide and with other countries. “They have been active since the start of the English Premier League (EPL) in June,’’ he said.

Another bookmaking syndicate said to have accepted RM100,000 in bets daily was also busted with the arrest of four men in Jalan Lintang, Air Itam, recently. ACP Gan said the men, aged between 22 and 35, were nabbed by an anti-vice team acting on a tip-off, adding that police are investigating if they are linked to the latest arrest. “A laptop, nine handphones and a betting sheet were among the items seized,” he added.

 

[Cao Pi]

Police probe football syndicate


Tuesday November 16, 2010

Police probe football syndicate

GEORGE TOWN: Investigators into a football bookmaking syndicate here are looking at a possible international link following the arrest of two suspected bookies during the weekend. A source here said the two men, aged 41 and 24, had been active since the start of the football season in July.

“They offered bets on football matches played around the world,” said the source, adding that investigations revealed that the apartment where they were nabbed belonged to an uncle of one of the suspects. At the time of the raid at the Lengkok Free School apartment on Sunday, the uncle was said to be out of town.

The football racket had reportedly raked in up to RM1.4mil in bets daily. The source said police were now trying to establish if the syndicate had connections with international bookmaking rackets. Police seized three laptop computers, four handphones, a chequebook, three betting sheets, eight Erimin 5 pills and a packet of ketamine from the suspects.

The raid, led by Asst Supt Fauzi Mohd Yusoff, was made following a tip-off. Sources said police had monitored the suspects’ movements for a week and were drawn to the younger suspect’s penchant for luxury cars. The younger man, said to be a real estate agent, had purportedly flashed around town in a Lamborghini, which only a handful of people in Penang own.

However, initial police investigations showed that the suspect only owned a Honda Civic and not the high-powered Italian car that he was rumoured to have driven. Contrary to earlier reports, police have not yet find any Lamborghini. But because of the eyewitness accounts, police are looking for the vehicle.