Police detained a 42-year-old man at an eatery in Jalan Raja Uda in Butterworth, Penang, last night on suspicion of being a bookie in illegal betting on the 2010 World Cup football championship.

Bukit Aman D7 Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies branch operations chief Supt Maszely Minhat said the man was believed to be running online betting for a number of matches yesterday when he was detained.

The man, believed to be a worker at the eatery, was nabbed at the payment counter at 1.15am and police seized RM15,675, believed to be bets, a laptop with a betting system, several blank receipts and four computer batteries from him.

The man was detained under section 6(3) of the Betting Act 1953 which carries a maximum five years jail or RM200,000 fine, or both, on conviction.

On June 15, police detained four bookies and two men, believed to be intermediaries, who were busy taking bets at a coffee shop in Jalan Raja Uda.

- Bernama