Customers Allegedly Gamble Illegally At Ang Mo Kio Kopitiam, 7 Arrested

7 People Aged Between 37 & 76 Illegally Gamble At Ang Mo Kio Kopitiam

On Saturday (19 Nov) afternoon, at least ten plainclothes police officers were seen questioning a few customers at an Ang Mo Kio kopitiam.

At that time, one man being questioned could be seen holding a stack of gambling tickets.

According to Shin Min Daily News, seven people were arrested on suspicion of illegal gambling.

All seven were reportedly regular customers at the kopitiam which had warning posters about gambling posted on its walls.

7 arrested for illegal gambling

At about 3pm on Saturday (19 Nov), the plainclothes police officer arrived at the Block 226B Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 kopitiam and promptly arrested six men and one woman.

There were at least ten officers on the scene. When Shin Min Daily News reporters arrived at about 5pm, officers were still taking the statements of those arrested.

One man speaking to an officer spoke about betting while another admitted that he was collecting bets from others. In his hands was a stack of gambling tickets.

Another person also mentioned that they were watching horse racing on their mobile phones.

At around 6.30pm, the officers brought the seven people to the HDB stairs and did a body search on them.

They were then handcuffed and escorted to a police vehicle.

Warnings against gambling posted on wall

Hawkers at the kopitiam said they had not noticed the seven people gambling and they had been rather low-key about the matter.

Nonetheless, their illegal gambling still came to light eventually.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, one hawker shared that all seven of the arrested individuals were regulars at the kopitiam.

The six men have been frequenting the eatery for over a decade while the woman has been going there for one or two years.

On the wall of the kopitiam, a notice stating that gambling is banned on the premises could be spotted.

Written in Chinese, a poster warned that if found guilty of illegal gambling, they can be jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$5,000, or both.

Those found taking bets from others face a heftier punishment of up to five years’ jail and a fine of up to S$20,000.

Investigations ongoing

In a statement on Sunday (20 Nov), the police said officers took enforcement action against illegal gambling happening at the Ang Mo Kio kopitiam.

Over S$6,000 in cash was recovered at the scene.

Six men and one woman aged between 37 and 76 are now being investigated.

Preliminary investigations reveal that they were involved in illegal betting and illegal gambling.

The police take a serious view of all forms of illegal gambling activities. They will continue to take tough enforcement action against those who are involved in such activities.

The police also advised the public to steer clear of such illegal activities.

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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on Facebook and Google Maps.