Bukit Aman to track down 40,000 suspected secret society members

0

JOHOR BAHARU: Bukit Aman is tracking down more than 40,000 individuals suspected to be secret society members who had carried out violent crimes in the country.

Bukit Aman CID director Datuk Seri Mohmad Salleh said most of the 40,000 suspects have been identified even though they are hiding under the ambit of legal organisations.

“They are involved in various criminal activities including drug abuse, robbery, murders and blackmail which are violent in nature and meant to strike fear among the people,” he told reporters at the Johor police contingent headquarters here yesterday.

According to him, there are 72 organisations with links to secret societies, 49 of which have been banned while 23 remaining organisations will be recommended to the Registrar of Societies to be gazetted as illegal organisations.

“It is  a major challenge   for police even  though  the groups have been  crippled from  spreading their wings,” he said.

In an unrelated story,  the police said they are in the midst of wrapping up investigations into a leak in the Science and English examination papers of the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR).

Kuala Lumpur CID chief SAC Gan Kong Meng said the investigation papers were expected to be handed over to the attorney-general’s chambers next week.

In a statement here yesterday, he said a total of 14 people who were detained in connection with the leak had been released on police bail.

As of Sunday, the police have recorded statements from more than 30 people to facilitate investigations.

Following the leak, the English 014/1 and 014/2 papers were cancelled after students sat for the exam on Sept 11, while the Science 018, 028 and 038 were postponed before students could sit for it on the same day.

The Malaysian Examinations Board has set Sept 30 for students to sit for both subjects.

On Sunday, the police received reports on allegations that two other UPSR papers, Tamil and Mathematics, had also been leaked. — Bernama