A bold illegal cockfighting ring operating inside a hidden banana plantation near Bayu Perdana Apartments was busted following a raid by Selangor police.
The operation, allegedly run by an Indonesian man, had been cleverly concealed within the plantation, with organisers even going as far as pasting stickers bearing their own name over an official street sign to disguise the location.
The illicit activities came to an end at about 5.30pm on Sunday when officers from the Selangor Criminal Investigation Department’s Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division (D7), together with the Selangor Veterinary Services Department, carried out a coordinated raid after two weeks of surveillance.
Selangor police chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar said the plantation was deliberately used to hide weekly gambling activities from public view.
“A total of 72 men aged between 20 and 70 were arrested. This includes two individuals believed to be organisers and 70 participants, made up of 41 Malaysians and 31 foreign nationals,” he said.
Police seized RM55,075 in cash, along with gambling equipment believed to have been used during the cockfighting matches. Officers also found 14 live chickens and four dead chickens at the scene, suspected to have died as a result of the fights.
Initial investigations revealed the syndicate had been operating for about six months, hosting cockfighting sessions every Sunday. Bets were reported to reach as high as RM10,000 per session.
All suspects have been detained at the Klang Selatan district police headquarters for further investigation under Section 7(2) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, Section 32 of the Animal Welfare Act 2015, and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
Police also discovered dice and other gambling paraphernalia hidden inside a treehouse within the plantation during the operation.
Further checks found that the illegal plantation had been set up about five years ago by an elderly Indonesian man, who allegedly allowed the cockfighting organisers to use the site for several months.
Datuk Shazeli said police will continue to intensify enforcement against illegal gambling activities and urged members of the public to share information to help maintain public safety across Selangor.
