Two special squads have been formed by Bukit Aman to deal with drugs and serious crimes.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said each squad, set up two months ago, consists of 200 highly-trained police officers which would deal directly with targeted groups.
"They will operate out of Bukit Aman, meaning they will not have to go through the state or district police headquarters."
"These are well-trained officers, with each squad led by a police commissioner," he said today after launching the Crime Prevention Forum, held in Bandar Sunway.
He said the squads had been set up with the approval of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to counter negative public perception of the police's effectiveness in combating crime.
"We need to deal with the perception that police officers are corrupt or are taking bribes," he said.
Zahid said the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar would have full powers in selecting the members of the squads, which were recently involved in the shooting of five gang members in Penang.
He said the squads would be "colour-blind" in their approach to nab the perpetrators of crime.
"We will not be sympathetic towards any type of criminal, just as criminals do not care who their victims are."
