KUALA LUMPUR: Police have detained 42 people including a woman for various offences in an operation under Ops Cantas 2 in Changkat Bukit Bintang here early Saturday morning.
Dang Wangi Deputy OCPD Supt Habibi Majinji said the operation that was carried from 11.15pm on Friday until early Saturday morning, involved 23 officers and 108 personnel.
He said the operation targeted entertainment outlets in Changkat Bukit Bintang, adding that it was aimed at curbing criminal activities with gang elements.
KUALA LUMPUR: Police have arrested a total of 1,444 suspected criminals and triad members during its first six days of Op Cantas Khas 2.
The crackdown against violent criminals and organised crime activities, launched on Aug 6, also saw six firearms, 20 bullets, 54 sharp weapons including six swords and 13 parang, and 54 vehicles seized by Op Cantas Khas 2 operatives nationwide.
Federal police Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohmad Salleh said among the suspects nabbed are 138 people who were high on police's wanted list for various offences.
He said from the 1,444, six were arrested under the Firearms (Increased Penalty) Act, 115 arrested under the Registrar of Societies Act for suspicion of involvement in gangs, under the Penal Code for various offences (179), for documentation (995), and others (149).
Police have opened a total of 444 investigation papers so far.
"Op Cantas Khas 2 was launched following the recent spate of violent crimes and elements of gangsterism, especially in the recent month, which had created fear and unrest among the public of their safety and security.
"This operation involves a large number of CID personnel from both the federal and state levels, as well as federal police special squads - Stafoc (Special Task Force on Organised Crime), Sting (Special Tactical Intelligence Narcotics Group), and Stagg (Special Task Force for Anti-Vice, Gaming and Gangsterism).
"It will continue until police are satisfied that all criminals involved in violent crimes and gangsterism activities are arrested, tracked down or identified (for action)," he told a press conference at the federal police headquarters, here, earlier today.
Mohmad said the Op Cantas Khas 2 teams had, between Saturday and Thursday, performed checks on 33,684 individuals and 19,558 vehicles nationwide, during which they managed to track down and detain the suspects and seized dangerous weapons from them.
The majority of those nabbed are in their 20s and 30s.
On the operation's crackdown against triad members, Mohmad said police found that among the triads that are active in the country are 36, 04, 18 and Satu Hati, with 36 being the largest.
Mohmad said the federal police are also cooperating their counterparts in Thailand to locate and detain suspected criminals and gangsters who have fled the country following the launch of the operation.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
