3 cops held as 08 Gang, 18 Gang busted

SHAH ALAM: Two notorious underworld gangs – 08 Gang and 18 Gang – that were behind a string of serious crimes in the state including murder were mowed down by Selangor police in intensified operations since last week.
The operations codenamed Ops Spider and Ops Api Reload under Ops Cantas Khas saw 63 gang members arrested including two key members who hold the honorific title of Datuk Seri and Datuk.
Also arrested were three police personnel – an assistant superintendent (ASP), a sergeant-major and a constable who are suspected to be informants to the gangs.
The trio were personnel attached to Bukit Aman, Brickfields and Rawang police.
Police believe at least 40 cases of serious crimes including five murder cases since 2015 in Selangor are considered solved with the arrest of the suspects.
Selangor police chief Commissioner Datuk Mazlan Mansor said today that both gangs were involved in murders, abductions, robbery, causing grievous hurt, firearm use and drug trafficking.
He said the operations that were launched three months ago entailed surveillance and intelligence gathering before police moved in on March 29 until today to execute the arrests here, in Pahang, Perak, Kelantan, Malacca, Johor and at the KL International Airport (KLIA).
He said under Ops Spider which was targeted at 08 Gang, 36 members were held while 27 members of 18 Gang were held under Ops Api Reload.
He said the suspects who are aged between 23 and 60 were held under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).
The suspects are in custody under a 28-day remand order.
Mazlan said police also seized four-wheel drive cars, high-powered motorcycles, a pistol, machetes, gold jewellery and cash in the operation.
He said the federal police anti-money laundering unit also froze 38 bank accounts, four properties, 11 cars, two motorcycles and jewellery belonging to the suspects which were worth more than RM3.16 million.
Mazlan said about 20 other members from both gangs who have gone into hiding are being sought by police in the ongoing operation.
He said police have their identities and have alerted enforcement agencies at exit points in the country to be on the lookout for them.
"They are active members of both the organised crime gangs. We believe we have all the key members of both gangs and the hunt is on for the rest who are yet to be held. We also arrested three policemen who were in cahoots with the gangs." he said.
It is learnt that an ex-police lance corporal who was dismissed from the force two years ago is also being sought by police.
Selangor police were assisted in the operations by the federal police including its two elite tactical units – Special Task Force For Anti Vice, Gaming And Gangsterism (Stagg) and Special Task Force On Organised Crime (Stafoc).
"Since 2016, the Selangor CID had carried out similar busts on two other groups – the Latino Dago Gang and the 24 Apache Gang where 10 members and 35 members were arrested respectively. All 59 were charged in court for their involvement in organised crimes. We will continue to take the same approach more aggressively to cripple other organised crime gangs in Selangor." he told a press conference today at the Selangor police headquarters in Shah Alam.
It is learnt that the 08 and 18 gangs, both listed as banned by the Home Ministry were active in areas such as Klang and Banting.
The leaders of the gangs often run legitimate businesses as a front to their illegal activities which were mainly drug trafficking and extortion.
Investigators learnt that a few of the older members who were arrested in the operations were involved in gangland activities for over 30 years.
Meanwhile, in KUALA LUMPUR, city police have detained 19 people who were suspected to be members of the notorious 08 Gang in the city.
A total of 45 senior officers and 119 police personnel were involved in the operation.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said the suspects were detained in Johor, Pahang, Selangor and in the city during an operation code-named "Op Capital KL 1/2018" between March 28 and March 30.
The arrest gave the police a lead in their attempts to hunt down suspected members of Gang 08 in KL who were believed to be involved in organised crime such as causing hurt, robberies, extortion, murder and drug trafficking.
"Police investigation revealed the group has been active for at least three years, primarily in the areas of Wangsa Maju.
"All suspects aged between 18 and 38 years old were remanded for 28 days under Section (4) Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) to facilitate the investigation," he told a press conference today.
He said that the suspects will be investigated under Section 130 V and 130 W of the Penal Code for involvement in organised crime activities and being a member of a crime group.
Police have also identified 22 more suspects involved in organised crimes and Mazlan vowed that they will be detained soon.
He said police believed the suspects were still in the country while Interpol will provide assistance if any were able to flee the country.
Those with information may contact ASP Idil Fitri Tambi attached to the Kuala Lumpur Secret Societies, Gambling and Vice Division (D7) at 03-21460649.