On July 16, Malaysian police conducted raids on 19 locations in the Klang Valley, part of the Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area. During these operations, they seized 182 computers, 137 laptops, and 152 mobile phones, leading to the arrest of 161 individuals linked to a syndicate running an illegal online gambling business disguised as computer companies.
According to police reports, the syndicate was accepting bets on football matches, including the upcoming 2026 World Cup, and offered various other gambling options through its own application. Their daily turnover reportedly reached $6.6 million.
The arrests were part of a national operation named Ops Soga XI, which ran from June 11 to July 20, coinciding with the tournament. During this operation, police and the telecommunications regulator MCMC carried out 649 raids, apprehended 945 individuals, and recorded betting transactions totaling $8.6 million. Additionally, they identified 637 websites promoting online gambling and have already blocked several of them.