KUALA LUMPUR – The Royal Malaysia Police have arrested 27 social media influencers for allegedly promoting illegal online gambling sites. The group, consisting of 23 women and four men aged between 21 and 35, were detained on June 13 across various Malaysian states, including Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Johor, Perlis, Kedah, and Penang.
Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain, director of the Criminal Investigation Department, revealed that initial investigations indicated gambling syndicates hired these influencers based on their social media follower count. Each influencer was paid between RM1,500 (S$430) and RM8,000 per social media platform, depending on their number of followers. It is believed that each influencer is active on more than two social media platforms.
“We believe each influencer is active on more than two social media platforms,” said Mr. Mohd Shuhaily at a press conference on June 14. The influencers were reportedly hired by multiple syndicates and have been active for about a year. In the operation, police seized a total of 30 mobile phones.
“On top of selling their products such as beauty products, the influencers also promote online gambling sites,” Mr. Mohd Shuhaily added.
The police are conducting further investigations to identify and track down the syndicates responsible for hiring the influencers. The influencers are being investigated under the Open Gaming House Act and Section 233 of the Malaysia Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Act.