The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) are well in control of violent gang-related crimes in the country, 10 months after initiating Ops Cantas Khas, which was designed to clamp down on crime gangs throughout Malaysia
Despite the fact that several gang members feel it is once again safe to come out of the woodwork to resume their criminal activities, Bukit Aman assures the public that their brand of lawlessness will never return.
“Only remnants of the gangs are trying to launch sneak attacks on rival gangs, nothing more,” said Federal CID deputy director Deputy Comm Datuk Mazlan Mansor.
“They are of the impression Ops Cantas Khas has been scaled down. Mark my words – the gangs cannot come back. Ops Cantas Khas is still on.
“Our men are working day and night to ensure gangs do not make a comeback,” he told Farik Zolkepli and Natasha Joibi of The Star Online yesterday.
The police credited the amended Prevention of Crime Act (PCA) as their main weapon against gang violence.
Under the PCA, 134 people, mostly gang members, had been arrested since April 2.
“Of the number, 38 people were issued with Restricted Residence orders by the Crime Prevention Board while 24 were in the process of being re-charged.
“The remaining suspects are still in detention,” said Federal Secret Societies, Gambling and Vice Division (D7) principak assistant director Senior Asst Comm Roslee Chik.
Ops Cantas Khas is credited with a general decrease of violent crimes, from murder, robberies and crimes involving firearms seeing a significant year-on-year decrease. The operation also resulted in the seziure of 9,659 articles of firearms, explosive material, weapons and ammunition.
Be that as it may, there have still been eight shootings reported in the country this year alone, with the latest being the shooting of a 50-year old man in Kajang yesterday. Abd Ghani Abdullah was shot twice, once in the shoulder and once just below his right ear, as he was walking from the Matro Point car park at 6.30am.
