Eight individuals were arrested on suspicion of being involved in the filming of a video promoting online gambling, which has gone viral on social media.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said those arrested included actors, artist agents, videographers, camera crew, a producer, and a director.
“All of them admitted receiving payment for the making of the video which was held at two locations, in Ampang and Hulu Langat, Selangor, on March 13.
“We are continuing with efforts to track down the mastermind behind the making of the video,” he said in a statement today.
Acryl Sani said those arrested would be remanded for investigation under Section 504 of the Penal Code, Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, and Section 4 (1) (G) of the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
He said the police so far received 38 reports on the video.
Acryl Sani advised the public not to speculate on the matter as an investigation was still ongoing and those with information should go to the police.
Meanwhile, the actors in the ad have said they were not aware they were promoting gambling.
Speaking to mStar yesterday, 24-year-old Saifullah Mood Yunus, the main character in the video, said he was disappointed when he found out the actual purpose of the video but decided to keep shooting because he wished to be professional.
“We are very professional. We will not ask for production to stop just so we can go home.
“Since we had already completed 70% of the shoot, we decided to continue.”
Another actor, who did not want to be identified, said he had not asked questions when he was offered a part in the commerical.
“The production company added us to a WhatsApp group called ‘Raya MV Shoot March 2021’. It’s normal practice for production companies to keep their products secret and they even told us not to tell anyone because it was a surprise,” said the actor.
Meanwhile, the talent who played the role of an assistant in the video said he and his friends only realised the advertisement was about gambling on March 13.
“Freelancers like us have been badly affected by Covid-19. We are desperate (for a job). We have no other way to get money.
“When we got this job, we didn’t ask too many questions. They weren’t paying us a lot of money either,” he said.
Meanwhile, another video promoting online gambling went viral on social media today and he said the police were aware of it.
“So far, there has been no report, but I have ordered a police report to be made,” Acryl Sani said.